The Clinton Street Car Crash
by TheAngelsHaveThePhoneBox
Summary: Clark Kent being best friends with Lex Luthor? Meeting Lois Lane as a teenager? Who the hell is Chloe Sullivan! Someone's messing with Superman's timeline. The Time Lords used to prevent this. But, sadly, there's only one of those left these days.
1. Chapter 1

Reading the prologue below might make you think this will be a shippy story. It's not, really. What happens, needs to happen for plot reasons. Everything will become clear later on.

* * *

**Prologue:**

**Coffee, Kissing and Clom**

Lois's eyes briefly flicked up from her computer screen to the fresh cup of coffee her colleague had just placed in front of her.

"Thank you, Smallville." she said, and was right back to work, typing as fast as she could, hoping Clark would proof read it as he usually did and spot any mistakes she made.

Clark collapsed into his own seat behind his desk, taking a sip of his own coffee. He surveyed the empty basement of the Daily Planet, and yawned. Though he didn't need as much sleep as regular people, 2 a.m. was still a bit much.

"Smallville, look alive!" came the sharp call from across his desk. "Don't fall asleep on me now, we're almost done."

"I'm wide awake Lois." He told her, and immediately felt another yawn coming on. He took a big gulp of his coffee, though he wasn't sure if it would make any difference. He knew Alcohol didn't affect him, but he had never gotten around to testing caffeine. No time like the present, he thought, and took a second swig.

Lois rolled her eyes as she caught him trying to stifle another yawn. Clark had potential in this line of work, he'd proven that already, but for the moment he was still an amateur. Lois had gotten used to all-nighters a few weeks into her journalism career, and had accepted it as part of the job. Although, she supposed, a farmer was more used to waking up in the early hours of the morning, not staying up into them.

He didn't even need to be here. If it was a story he had joined her on, she'd understand, but this was her story she was staying behind to finish. Clark had just tagged along; in case she needed any help, he had said. How much of a help he could be by getting her cups of coffee every half hour and struggling to keep his eyes open, was anyone's guess.

She looked at him across their desks; he was slumped back in his chair, cup of coffee gradually turning over onto his chest, and his eyelids were drooping closed further and further, but they suddenly snapped back open as he realised he was falling asleep. She couldn't help the smirk that found it's way onto her face.

"Smallville, you can go home if you want to."

"For the last time, Lois, I'm fine."

"You're spilling coffee on you're shirt."

He looked down and saw that that the warm black liquid was indeed running over the top of his mug and onto his shirt. He sighed and stood up, grabbing a napkin off his desk and dabbing at the stain.

"Another glorious moment for Clark Kent, reporter!" Lois laughed, leaning back in her own chair. "Well, wannabe-reporter anyway."

"You know something Lois? I'm here to help you, you could show some appreciation."

"Oh, I'm so grateful you're here to fall asleep and spill coffee all over yourself." Clark tried to fire back, but she cut him off. She was too tired to banter with him at the moment. "Smallville, if you're here to help me then come around here and proof read what I've done so far."

He rolled his eyes, but put down his napkin and started to walk around to her desk, accidentally kicking a trash can over along the way.

Lois sighed. She missed working across from Chloe.

After picking up all the pieces of garbage, he was in a chair next to her, leaning forward so he could read her screen.

Lois took the opportunity to get a good look at his face. He looked tired. And not just because it was approaching 3 in the morning. He just looked worn out in general.

"Smallville?" she said, softer this time.

"What?" he muttered in reply, keeping his eyes on her screen.

"Why are you here?"

For a few seconds, he didn't answer. "To help you." he eventually said, and then pointed out, "There's only one 't' in suspect."

She rolled her eyes, something she did a lot around him. "No, seriously. You look tired, why aren't you at home?"

This time, he didn't answer.

With caution, she asked, "Is Lana still there?"

"…Yes."

And there it was. Chloe had mentioned to Lois that things at the Kent household were beyond awkward since Lana returned from being AWOL. But Lois hadn't thought about it much, and she certainly hadn't thought about what had almost happened between her and Clark at the very moment Lana had came back. Nor had she or Clark mentioned the incident since her own return from Star City. It was probably for the best, no need for another environment to become awkward. Still, it was now clear that Clark had stayed late because he didn't want to go home.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asked. He was still facing her screen.

"That's the wrong use of 'there', you mean 't-h-e-i-r'."

"Clark."

He finally looked at her, and Lois saw that the exhaustion on his face was nothing compared to his eyes.

"No."

She briefly thought about pushing it, but he just looked so beat, she didn't have it in her.

"Okay, but if you need to, I'm here."

Clark held her gaze for a few seconds, and then returned to the screen, mumbling a "Thanks."

She had just started to enjoy the comfortable silence that followed, when he she heard him let out a small laugh.

"What?"

"It's just, with Chloe in Star City with Jimmy, and me and Lana not being on the best of terms, you're the only one I _can_ talk to."

She saw what he was saying. "Funny how things turn out?" she said, with a grin of her own.

"Exactly."

They allowed themselves to laugh a little, proof reading long forgotten. And then Lois said:

"I guess a lot of things have changed between us."

He stopped laughing, and looked at her again, a different look in his eyes this time.

"Yeah," he said. "they have."

Before she could say anything else, he was kissing her. He was upset, she told herself, hurt over Lana. She should stop him, but she didn't. She couldn't. And so they were kissing.

* * *

The Doctor hurtled himself through the doors of the TARDIS, falling flat on his face. Picking himself up and closing the doors behind him, he burst out laughing. The look on those guard's faces! And all he'd done was question their Queen's choice of wigs; hardly enough to chase him. Surely he'd learnt by now not to offend alien dictators. He took of his beloved burgundy Converse to asses the damage, and groaned when he saw them covered in the greenish mud native to the planet Clom. That was the last time he checked to make sure they had survived being dragged across space. They could sort themselves out from now on.

Just as he started thinking about where he was off to next, the TARDIS interrupted. The engines of the TARDIS, to be precise, as the familiar grinding noise rang throughout the console room. Surprised, he looked at the ancient mechanics rising and falling in the crystal-like beam that stood in the centre of the room.

"What?" he muttered, and rushed over to the console. The TARDIS appeared to be flying of its own accord. Admittedly, not something new, but not something that was generally good news. The last time it had happened, he had gained and lost a daughter in the space of a few hours.

As the ship took flight and the floor shook, the Doctor tried the emergency break, the auto-materializer, and the external over-ride, but all to no avail. The TARDIS had made up its mind, and that was that.

Hoping to at least see where they where going, he pulled the monitor towards him and looked at it.

"What?!" he shouted. With nothing else to do, he braced for landing by grabbing onto the rail behind him. With one last jerk, the TARDIS touched down. Grabbing his long coat and throwing it over his blue suit, he rushed outside the doors.

Corn, or more accurately, Corn-stalks, were all the Doctor was able to see for miles around. Except, however, for a sign.

A sign that told him he was in 'The Meteorite Capital of the World'

"_What?!__"_

* * *

Drop me a review and let me know if you're interested in more.


	2. Chapter 2

Big thanks to the 2 people who reviewed. I should have mentioned before, for Smallville this is set after Season 8's 'Legion', and then goes AU, so no spoilers for episodes after that. For Doctor Who, this is set anywhere between 'Planet of the Dead' and the upcoming 'Waters of Mars'.

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

**"Very well dressed for a hitchhiker."**

Ben Hubbard clutched the baseball bat in his hands a little tighter as he stepped out onto his front porch. A little voice in the back of his head told him that the sensible thing to do would be to go back inside and wait for the Sherriff, but he didn't. Instead, he walked down the steps and looked around. It was 3:30 in the morning and still pitch black, he could barely make out the fences a few feet in front of him, and could see nothing out in the fields beyond.

But he hadn't imagined that strange noise, he was sure of that, it had woken him up. That, and the sound of some distressed cattle, had led him to assume he had some uninvited guests on his farm. What they were looking for, he didn't know; he didn't own much. He walked around for a few minutes more and decided that, if he hadn't imagined it, whoever it was must have heard him coming and fled. Relieved and reassured, he turned back towards his house.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard it again. No, he thought, this time it was different. This was more like a rush of wind, as though something huge had passed behind him. He swirled round, bat raised, but saw nothing in front of him. However, he could still hear something. Again, sounds of something cutting through the air. He listened closer, and could soon tell where it was coming from.

Slowly, hesitantly, he looked up, and saw it. Saw it's massive wings. Saw it's multiple limbs. Saw it swooping down on him. And then, he saw no more.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!" Clark scolded himself again. He had to remind himself not to grip the steering wheel in anger, he had broken some before out of frustration.

Oliver.

That name felt like it had been burning at the front of his mind ever since he had left the Daily Planet. He only wished it had been there about five minutes before.

Oliver Queen. Not just Lois's Ex, but the love of her life. Had it not been so long ago that he comforted Lois while she cried her eyes out over this man? Was that not enough proof that Lois only wanted to be with him? Then why had he been so stupid as to kiss her?

Clark had been well aware that his feelings for Lois had changed significantly, even if he'd only admitted that to himself recently. It had crept up on him, and he supposed that he had been so shocked that he would ever be able to get over Lana, that he forgot Lois had not had the same fortune with Oliver.

"_Idiot!_" he said.

He had thought about what had almost happened between them at Chloe's wedding a lot. He had ran through every scenario in his mind, had Lana not showed up. Yet the actual, unavoidable result was staring him in the face. If Lana had not interrupted, Lois would have knocked him back just like she had done tonight.

Well, technically she hadn't done that. She _had_ returned his kiss, even if it was for only a few seconds. But it wasn't long before she had pulled back, mumbled an apology and more or less ran out of the room. He figured that the only reason she stayed as long as she did was because it had been so long since Oliver. And her cousin had recently gotten married, maybe she was feeling a little lonely.

And again, he couldn't believe he hadn't thought this through. There was never any chance she would see him as more than an annoyance, and so there was no use risking their friendship over it. Because he valued her friendship, these last few months he had just thought about having something more.

He was tired of thinking of it now. Tired, embarrassed, and angry at himself. He decided to concentrate on the road. It was empty, of course, because it was so early in the morning, but his parents had taught him that safety came first.

Not long after, just as he was entering Smallville, he saw a figure on the side of the road. As he neared the man, his headlights showed him to be looking slightly lost. Clark, being Clark, slowed to a halt next to him.

"You okay, sir?" he asked out of his window.

The man didn't even seem to have noticed Clark pull up beside him, and jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. When he saw Clark, his look of shock evaporated, and was replaced by a gigantic smile.

"Ah, Hello! Erm, no actually, I'm a little bit lost. It's beginning to become something of a reoccurrence in my old age."

Clark frowned. The man, speaking with a thick English accent, looked only to be in his thirties, yet there didn't seem to be any trace of humour in his 'old age' comment.

"You couldn't tell me where I am, could you? Unless you're lost as well and where pulling over to ask the same question, in which case I couldn't tell you, friend, because I'm lost myself."

He didn't think it was possible, but the stranger's smile only grew bigger.

"You're in Smallville." Clark said slowly, beginning to suspect that the man may be an escaped patient from Belle Reeve.

"Riiight." the man said. "Which would be…?"

"Um, in Kansas."

"Oh, we're in America? Oh, brilliant! I didn't even recognise you're accent, thought it was Australian for a moment. Not very good with accents, you see. There's so many on this planet, hard to keep up."

And now Clark was sure this man had something wrong with him.

"Do you need a ride?" Clark asked, although he planned to insist, whatever the answer, and then take the man to a hospital.

"Ah, no thanks I have -" But the man didn't finish, because a strange sound had filled the air. A deep, grinding noise of sorts, like ancient engines.

The sound seemed to horrify the man, and he took off into the corn-stalks at the side of the road. Clark instinctively jumped out of his truck and followed.

He didn't have to run far, because he found the man just a few feet away in a patch of flattened corn-stalks. Whatever had been on top of these stalks had gone, and the man was just staring at that spot in shock. Clark also noticed that the strange noise had faded into the night.

The man turned to Clark, still looking a bit shell-shocked. "Actually, I think I will need a lift after all."

Twenty minutes later, and Clark was driving to the Farm with the stranger in the passenger's seat.

"I really think you should go to a hospital." Clark repeated, sending a concerned glance the man's way. The man had refused to go anywhere near a medical facility.

"I'm not a rogue mental patient, and the last thing I need right now is to be locked up."

"No one said anything about being locked up." Clark said, trying to keep his voice calm and soothing.

"I'm not on the run. Look, I have ID." He took a black wallet out of his jacket and showed it to Clark, but inside was just a blank piece of paper.

Keeping one eye on the road, Clark said "There's nothing on that paper."

The man raised an eyebrow, looking slightly amazed. "Quite right." he said, looking at it himself and then putting it back in his pocket. "But, that can't have helped my case for sanity, can it?"

"Not really."

"Well, I'm not crazy. I just seem to have… misplaced my transportation. So all I need is a place to stay for the night, no point trying to look for it now; I could barely see my hand in front of my face out there, it was so dark."

Clark looked at the man again. His blue pinstriped suit was a size or two too small for him, and along with the long brown overcoat, mud-stained sneakers, and spiked up hairstyle, he certainly seemed a little out of place in Smallville. Where exactly he wouldn't be out of place, Clark didn't know. He talked strange too; Clark had assumed that the 'transportation' he kept referring to was a car, but the man insisted on using the other word.

"You can stay at my farm for the night." Clark told him. Maybe he could convince the man to go to a hospital in the morning. Regardless, he couldn't leave him alone in a town he didn't know at this time of night.

"Thank you, very much. You're like the Good Samaritan." He grinned again, and Clark found it slightly infectious.

"So, what did you say your name was." Clark asked.

"I'm the …" he hesitated for a second. "Smith." he said finally. "John Smith. Nice to meet you."

Pulling into the Farm, Clark smiled back. "Clark Kent."

'John Smith' watched as Clark took his keys out the ignition, waiting to hear the rest of whatever his Good Samaritan was saying. "What d'you mean, 'Clark Kent', what about him?"

They looked at each other, both frowning.

"Well, that's me. I'm Clark Kent, that's my name."

The Doctor waited till Clark got out of the car to bang his own head against the dashboard.

Smallville. He knew he'd heard of that before.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2:**

**The Mysterious Mister Smith**

The Doctor blinked as the sunlight streaming in through the window shone on his eyes. Removing his coat which had served as a make-shift blanket, he sat up from his position on the couch in the Kent Farm's living room. He'd been up for at least the last hour and a half, unable to sleep for a couple of reasons.

For starters, he was furious at himself. Okay, so he could forgive himself for letting 'Smallville' slip by; it was mentioned once at the beginning of the story, Metropolis was his actual home. But how could he have been so naïve as to just accept that someone would stop in the middle of nowhere, at that hour of the morning, pick up a lost stranger and offer them a bed for the night.

As much as he loved humans; and he did, they could be fantastic when they wanted to be; they just weren't that trusting. That should have been a big clue that he wasn't just picked up by anybody, which he then should have connected to 'Smallville, Kansas', and realised that he was in a car with Clark bloody Kent.

Standing up and pulling his coat back on, he walked into the kitchen, found some paper and a pen, and set out leaving a note that would thank Clark for his generosity and explain that he had to leave as soon as possible.

Which was completely true. It was okay to meet important people in history, or become a spectator to a huge event that they're involved in. But this was such a crucial time in Clark Kent's life. Right about now, he shouldn't be far from leaving the farmer's life behind and journeying up North, eventually showing up in the big city with a fancy new outfit. If the Doctor changed any little fact about this period of time, young Clark Kent might never leave Smallville, USA. And if Clark Kent didn't put on a cape, then this planet was doomed. Even last night was extremely dangerous, and anything else was just too risky. So, yes, a goodbye note and a quick getaway was the safest option.

"Oh, hello."

The voice startled the Doctor, and he swirled around to see where it had come from, to find a young woman coming down the stairs.

"Clark mentioned we had a guest. I'm Lana Lang."

That makes sense, the Doctor thought as Lana approached him at the table, and he gave her a big smile.

"Nice to meet you, I'm John Smith, and I was just about to be on my way. Could you see to it that big Clarkie gets this note?"

"You can give it to him yourself." she said, and nodded to the kitchen's transparent door, where Clark could be seen coming through.

"Mr Smith, you're up. I see you've met Lana." Clark said when he entered the kitchen.

"Oh, yes, you're a very lucky man."

Clark and Lana immediately exchanged awkward glances.

"Oh," Lana mumbled. "We're not together."

The Doctor nodded. "Ah, I see." It must be closer to Clark's departure from Smallville than he had previously thought, if Lana Lang wasn't his girlfriend anymore.

"Well, as I was just telling Lana, I better be going."

"Oh." Clark said with a frown. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, thanks for all your help, but I really need to find my… transportation."

"Well, I'll give you a ride, help you look for it."

"Oh, no, you've done far too much already. It's a nice day, and a bit of walking never hurt anyone."

Clark still didn't look convinced, but he had to admit that the man didn't strike him as in need of medical assistance anymore. Eccentric, yes, but not insane. And he had refused to go to a hospital last night, so Clark doubted he'd be able to change his mind about this.

"Well, if you're sure."

"I am." The Doctor said and made his way over to Clark and the door.

"Take care of yourself, Mr Smith." said Clark as he held out his hand. "It was nice to meet you."

John Smith shook his hand vigorously and gave Clark that smile of his.

"Oh, believe me, Mr Kent, the pleasure was all mine."

With one last smile for both humans, and a bemused one from Clark, the mysterious Mr Smith was out the door and walking away.

Clark shook his head. That was a strange man. He turned back to Lana, feeling the familiar tension of the last few weeks descend upon the room again.

The truth was, Clark didn't know how to act around Lana anymore. Whenever he looked at her, all he saw was her face on the goodbye video. The only real conversation they had had was right after she arrived at Chloe's wedding, in the loft. But it was interrupted by whatever it was that took Chloe. After that, the search for her and everything that happened with the Legion had provided a distraction. He had busied himself with those more pressing matters, which conveniently meant that he didn't have to address Lana's video-taped farewell.

However, normal order had been restored, as it always was in the end, meaning that there was nowhere else to run. But he still couldn't bring himself to sit down and talk to her, which left things as awkward as they were.

Even now, as she stood at the foot of the stairs and he stood at the door, frantically thinking of something to say, Clark could just feel the difference 7 months had made.

"Lana…" he said, just desperate to end the silence.

"Yes?" she answered, hopefully.

"I'm…gonna use the bathroom."

Lana shoulders slumped and, putting on a smile, she moved from her position blocking the stairs.

* * *

A few hours later, feeling as though he had walked through every cornfield in Smallville twice, the Doctor sat in one of the Talon's chairs, draining the last of the tea from his mug

The TARDIS had vanished. Into thin air. Which, of course, it was designed to do, but not without a pilot!

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. Quite simply, the Doctor had no idea what to do. He didn't understand it, any of it. Why would the TARDIS randomly bring him here, then disappear. Where would the TARDIS go without a pilot anyway? And what were the odds of Clark Kent picking him up in the middle of the night?

One thing was for sure, the Doctor wouldn't be able to answer any of those questions without more tea.

He was just at the counter to ask for a re-fill, when a scream rang through the coffee shop. The Doctor, looking around and seeing no imminent danger, realised that the scream must have came from outside. Dropping his mug on a table as he passed, he ran for the doors.

As Clark turned the corner onto Main Street, he chided himself for not even making an effort to make things better with Lana. Even if she had hurt him, and he didn't look at her the same way anymore, she had been too big a part of his life for him to just cut her out.

These thoughts immediately evaporated when he saw a crowd in the middle of the road, just outside the Talon, surrounded by both a Police car and an ambulance.

In a second, he was pushing through the crowd to see the cause of the disturbance.

A woman was on her knees, with a police officer at her side. The woman didn't have any signs of injury about her, but she was screaming, while the officer desperately tried to calm her down.

"It took him!" she sobbed, ignoring the officer's attempts to lift her up.

"Calm down. Just tell me what happened." the officer said.

"It killed him. It came out of nowhere and it killed him."

The paramedics pushed their way through the crowd towards the woman. It was then that Clark recognised her. Her name was Gina Hayworth, a friend of his mother's. They lifted Gina from her knees and started leading her towards the ambulance.

The Doctor, from not far away, watched the cop pass the woman off to the paramedics and walk to his partner.

"Better call it in." He said, his voice grim. "That's six now."

"Jesus." sighed his partner. "Six disappearances in one day, this ain't good."

After hearing that, the Doctor thought, he would be staying in Smallville even if he found his ship. If something was indeed taking people, Clark Kent at this stage might not be much help.

The police officers had managed to dissemble the crowd now, and as it thinned, Clark saw John Smith watching Gina being put into the Ambulance. He soon caught Clark's eye, and for a minute they just looked at each other; but a group of people walked in front of him, and when they had past, John Smith was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone who is reviewing, I'm really grateful. Especially since I'm also posting this story over on Kryptonsite and getting an, er, less than enthusiastic response.

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

**The Open Door**

The grey sky, growing darker. A long way away from the blinding reds and blues of home.

If it's here, then something has gone wrong, or is about to.

It flies around, tasting the air for a trace.

It's too early. It goes home, for now. But it won't go far. It will watch, and, when its time, it will return.

--

Lois Lane was a reporter.

It had taken her many years to find a direction in life, but this was it. She had gotten a taste, and was instantly hooked. So even though she had officially called in sick so as to avoid a certain tall farmer, she still came in later that evening to finish up some work. However, it turned out that Clark had also missed work. That, Lois thought, would only fuel the rumours about the two of them currently swirling round the office. In fairness, what other reason would a promising young reporter usually get close with the handsome copy boy? Their friendship prior to working together was either not commonly known, or just ignored.

"Ugh." she muttered, shaking her head. She promised herself that all thoughts regarding the farm boy would be dealt with after work, but they kept cropping up.

She lifted the mug at her side to her lips, only to find it empty. Instinctively, her eyes fell on the unoccupied desk in front of her, her usual source of re-fills.

Sighing, she got up to do it herself, but she had only taken a few steps when her path was blocked.

"Hello!" said her obstruction. It was a tall man in a suit and large coat, and he had something of a manic grin on his face.

"Hi." Lois said after a second. "Um, can I help you?"

"I hope so, I'm the Doctor." he produced a black wallet from his jacket pocket and showed it to Lois. "From upstairs, the, er, city beat." The paper inside the wallet did indeed identify him as a reporter from the top floor of the Daily Planet.

"What sort of name is 'The Doctor'?" she had to ask.

"It's a pen name, actually."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, I'm new here, not too sure where I go to get certain information, but I'm looking for weather forecasts."

"Well," Lois said. "There's a department for that on the third floor but most of their work is on the public drive."

"Right, which means?"

Lois paused again. "Um, anyone can access it."

"So, you can access it?" he asked.

"Well, I am anyone." she replied.

The Doctor grinned again. "So you are! Anyway, like I said: me, new, useless with computers; you couldn't show me on yours, could you?"

"…Sure." Lois slowly turned back to her computer. She supposed, if he was new here, he might not have the hang of the system yet, and his ID looked genuine. But there was something about this Doctor that didn't fit.

"Not all of their work is on here, what exactly are you looking for?"

"Weather patterns." The Doctor said, coming up behind her to look at her screen. "Specifically, any strange ones."

--

John Jones walked down the steps of the Metropolis Police Department building after a long day. When he reached the bottom, he found a familiar young man in a red jacket waiting for him.

"Kal-El." He said, and the young man winced the way he usually did when his birth name was spoken. "What can I do for you?"

"A woman was picked up in Smallville;" Clark said. "not arrested, just taken away for her own safety. She was screaming about someone being taken from her."

John sighed. "She's not the only one. There have been a number of strange disappearances in the past 24 hours. I was planning on finding you later tonight to inform you."

"Do you have any leads?"

John shook his head. "Whatever's happening to these people leaves no trace of evidence whatsoever."

"You don't think its exactly normal?" Clark asked.

"When I say no evidence, I mean it literally. Its like the people are taken out of thin air."

"So, what do we do?"

"Well, the Police haven't found anything at the scenes, but you have certain methods of investigation that they do not." He produced a piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to Clark.

"A list of the missing and where they were last seen."

Clark looked at the paper, and his eyes fell on a familiar name. "Ben Hubbard." he muttered.

"You know him?"

"He's my neighbour."

"He called the Sherriff's department at 3am, said he had heard intruders on his farm. When the Sherriff arrived, he was gone."

Clark ran a hand through his hair.

"He helps me out with the farm from time to time, if something's happened…"

"Ben's case was different from the others."

"How so?" Clark asked.

"His front door was open. The Sherriff found it like that when he got there. Out of all the scenes, that's the only evidence that the person was ever even there."

Clark dropped his hand and looked at John.

"I'll tell you if I find anything." he said.

"Good luck, Kal-El."

A second later, and Clark was gone.

--

"What is that?" Lois asked.

All across the city, the atmosphere was being disturbed. Disturbances that were stumping weather experts. They didn't stay for long. Just brief flashes of irregular warmth or abnormal winds; just for a second, then gone. And if the Doctor was right, which he almost certainly was, people were disappearing along with the abnormalities.

"Trouble." the Doctor answered. "That's what it is. Check for ones in Smallville, the earliest if you can."

Lois found what he asked for, bringing up an infrared satellite photo which showed a giant cloud of red covering an area, for less than ten seconds, and then all was normal again.

"Whoa." Lois whispered.

"What time was that?" he asked.

"About 3am this morning."

"Right about the time I arrived." The Doctor muttered, and then said, "That's my next stop. Thanks for the help, I'll be off." And he started striding towards the exit.

"Not without me you won't." Lois called after him, standing up from her chair and grabbing her jacket.

"What?" The Doctor turned to her.

"I'm coming with you. This story could be huge and I want in."

"No, it's too dangerous."

"Too bad, I'm still coming. And you can't do anything about it, because I'll just follow you."

He looked at her for a second, sighed, and fumbled around in his jacket pocket for something. He produced a thin, pen-like contraption. He pointed it at her computer, the blue light at the end glowing. A low buzzing sound filled the air.

"How are you gonna follow me if you don't know where I'm going?" he said.

Lois turned back to her computer to see a black screen where the photo had been, and smoke beginning to float out of the monitor.

"What did you do?!" She yelled, turning back to see him gone.


	5. Chapter 5

This is a bit of a short chapter, but the next one is HUGE. About 3 times the size of any previous chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**The Torn Sky**

There were no lights on inside the Hubbard house, because there was no one inside. The front door was open, and creaked every time a gust of wind hit it. The immediate area around the house was cordoned off with Police tape. This, and the fact that the house itself stood against a grey sky littered with the last remnants of the dying daylight, meant it was not a comforting sight for Clark. Especially since he had been here many times on bright, sunny days and spoke to Ben Hubbard himself. A place once so full of life now reminded Clark of something from a horror movie.

He ducked under the Police tape and scanned the area outside the house with his X-ray vision, looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything that would give him a clue as to where Ben and the other people who had been abducted had gone, or what had taken them.

There was nothing of note in the ground, no other footprints other than the faint imprints of those left by Ben, which Clark could tell belonged to him since they led from the house. He looked out into the fields. Nothing. He turned towards the house, walking up the steps of the front porch and X-raying it. He stopped walking almost immediately. In the front room, crouched down and moving around with its arm out in front, was a skeleton.

But this skeleton was different, not like the ones Clark usually saw when he X-rayed people. The bones, technically, were all in the right places, but they didn't look like normal bones. Clark couldn't quite put his finger on what was different about them, but he knew that this was not a normal human being.

Clark took a step forward, but stopped when he was greeted with the sounds of the creaking porch below him. Looking back up to the figure, it didn't seem to have noticed. So, carefully this time, Clark made his way to the front door and stepped through into the pitch black hallway.

Turning left into the living room, he saw through the open door that the figure, a man, was crouched down in the centre of the room, holding something in front of him. It was giving off a buzzing noise, and besides the moonlight streaming in through the windows, the blue glow at the end of it was the only other light in the room.

With a few steps, Clark was behind the man. He grabbed him by the shoulders, yanked him up and shoved him against the wall, holding him there with his arm across the mans chest.

"Ah, Clark. I thought you might show up." John Smith said. "But you're pinning me against the wall… why, exactly?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Clark snarled.

John Smith blinked, Clark's hostility catching him off guard. "Well, I would imagine for the same reason you are. Mr Hudson's disappearance."

"Hubbard." Clark corrected.

"That's what I said: Hubbard."

"How did you even know he'd disappeared? And what were you doing at the Talon when someone else went missing? Better yet, Mr Smith, what are the odds of me just happening to drive by and find you on the side of the road last night?"

"Well," the Doctor started. "in order of question asked: I overheard a Police officer mention multiple disappearances and then a nice girl at the Daily Planet helped me find unusual weather disturbances all over this place leading me to put 2 and 2 together; I'd been searching for my ship all morning with no luck so I took a tea break at the Talon when I heard the woman screaming and ran outside to see what was going on; and as for last night, well, I don't think odds or coincidence had anything to do with me meeting you, Clark."

"And what's that supposed to me--" Clark trailed off, running Mr Smith's sentence back in his head. "Wait. Did you say 'ship'?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, I did."

The smile momentarily dropped off his face, as Clark pushed his arm harder into his chest.

"Who are you?" Clark demanded.

He grinned again. "I'm the Doctor."

Before Clark could even question his reply, the ground beneath their feet shook, as if the house had been dealt a blow. The force caused Clark to stumble backwards, releasing the Doctor.

"What was that?" Clark asked.

"No idea." the Doctor answered.

It happened again. This time, ornaments fell from their place on the mantle piece.

"Outside." Clark said, and he ran for the front door, the Doctor following.

Clark felt the force of the wind hit him as soon as he stepped onto the porch. He walked down the steps. What had been a mild breeze had turned into a gale force wind.

"What's happening?" he asked again.

"Ssh!" The Doctor hissed. Clark turned to look at him. He was looking around wildly, licking his lips. "Can you taste that? In the air?"

"What are you--" Clark stopped again. He could hear something, but it wasn't the wind. Something told him it was much worse.

"What is that?" The Doctor was still saying. "Oh, the air is _soaked_ in it!"

The sound, Clark discovered, was coming from above them.

"John." He said.

"I told you, I'm the Doctor. Oh, come on, I know this taste. Its so familiar. Its… Its…"

"Mr Smith." Clark said again, staring in horror at the sky.

"_Stop calling me that!_ It's…It's…"

"Doctor!" Clark cried.

The Doctor looked up. Above them, a patch of the sky was wearing away. Torn at the sides to reveal something else. Something streaked with reds, and blues. Something very familiar.

"It's the vortex." The Doctor muttered. "But that's impossible, the only thing that could come through the vortex like that is…"

Clark Kent had seen many impossible things in his life. But to his amazement, he saw something climb out of the hole in the sky, something with massive wings and multiple limbs.

"…a Reaper." the Doctor said.

* * *

For non-Dr Who fans who don't know what a Reaper is, don't worry, it will be explained in the next chapter. For Dr Who fans who can't remember what a Reaper is, they're the creatures from 'Father's Day', though they were never named on screen. Apparently it said 'Reaper' in the script or something.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5: **

**Reaperville**

At first glance, the creature hovering before them looked like a dragon. But although it's thin wings and vast tail were dragonesque, it's scaly skin was pale brown as opposed to the green attributed to dragons in fairy tales. Two of what Clark guessed were ears stretched out horizontally from the top of its head. Beneath these sat two glowing crimson orbs that served as eyes. Under those were one of it's mouths, wide and beak-like. He said one of, because he was sure that the hole in this creature's stomach, which was surrounded by four gigantic arm-like limbs, had teeth.

"What's a 'Reaper'?" Clark asked.

He didn't receive an answer.

The Reaper, having remained floating in the air for the first few seconds after it appeared, suddenly threw itself into a dive, hurtling straight at Clark.

He didn't move. The man who moved faster than a speeding bullet, couldn't lift his feet. There was something about this thing. It was so different, so alien, to anything Clark had ever encountered.

So, as the Reaper plummeted towards him, it was the Doctor who dived on top of him, taking them both to the ground and out of harm's way.

Clark wasn't on the ground long. The Doctor grabbed him, pulled him to his feet, and pushed him forward.

"Run!" he cried.

Again, Clark stayed still, turning to face the creature. The Reaper had struck the floor hard after missing it's target. It raised itself back into the air, and took another lunge at Clark.

Clark made a fist, and pulled it back, ready to strike.

The Doctor again grabbed Clark's jacket and dragged him out of the Reaper's path, this time at the last possible second.

"Clark, that creature is not of this earth, your powers give you no advantage. We have to go!"

"Powers?" Clark faked. "What are you talking abo--"

"We don't have time for this, that thing will…"

For a third time the Doctor threw himself at Clark, taking him down again as Clark heard the Reaper swoop past, inches away; it's misses were becoming narrower.

"…kill us." The Doctor finished.

There was a fear in his voice that Clark had not heard before, a genuine fear that made Clark believe for the first time that they were in danger.

They scrambled to their feet to see the Reaper hovering in the air again, preparing to strike once more.

"This way." cried the Doctor, and began running back to the Ben Hubbard's house, Clark in tow.

They sprinted up the porch steps and burst through the front door, the Reaper following them as they did. The Doctor ran the length of the hall, obviously looking for a back exit. But suddenly the soaring sound of the Reaper getting closer by the second stopped. Just for a second, Clark wondered if the creature had given up.

And then the wall behind him exploded. Chips of brick and wood showered them. The Doctor paid no attention and kept running, but Clark risked a look back to see the Reaper blocking the moonlight that now streamed through the hole in the front of the house. Except the Reaper wasn't stationary, it was still flying towards them.

The hallway was too long, and the creature was too fast. With no time for further contemplation, Clark reached out and grabbed the Doctor by the back of his coat. He yanked him backwards, held the other man against his chest, and forced his own back into the wall to their left, crashing through it just as the Reaper had done seconds ago. The creature was flying too fast to stop, and they heard it crash though the wall at the end of corridor.

Clark and the Doctor were instantly back on their feet. The Doctor looked at him, didn't say a word, and then looked to the wall at the other end of the room they'd just unceremoniously entered. Clark did the same, seeing a window, and a way out. With another look at the Doctor, and still not a word, he ran at the wall, hit it with his shoulder, and broke it into pieces, falling outside to the grass below.

The Doctor followed, hopping the short distance between the room's floorboards, and the ground outside.

"Are you alright?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Clark got to his feet, wiped the debris from his jacket and nodded. They shared another look, laced with unspoken understandings. A primal scream brought them back to the situation at hand. The Reaper's collision had temporarily disoriented the creature, but now it was apparently ready to continue it's hunt.

"I can get us out of here." Clark said, grabbing the Doctor's arm and preparing to superspeed them to safety.

"Don't bother." The Doctor replied, grimly. "It'll find us. In seconds."

He looked around in desperation, and his eyes fell on something in the fields, only a number of feet away.

"Clark, how old is this farm?"

"What?"

"How old is the farm?" he repeated, urgently this time.

"What does that matter?"

"Just answer the question!"

Clark searched his adrenaline-occupied brain. "Uh… at least a 50 or 60 years old."

The Doctor looked from Clark to the fields. "It won't hold for long." he muttered. "But we don't have any other options. Let's go."

He set off towards the fields and Clark, turning, saw where he was running. Ben Hubbard's storm shelter.

They jumped the fence at the end of the house, and set off running. Behind them, Ben Hubbard's house was being gutted as the Reaper furiously searched for it's prey.

The Doctor reached the storm shelter first. Two iron doors laid across a heightened piece of ground.

"Perfect." The Doctor cried, prying the doors open and turning back to Clark. As he did, he also saw the Reaper shatter through the roof of what used to be a house. The creature had realised they were not inside, but it's bird's eye view easily revealed them.

"Clark! Hurry up!"

Still running, Clark craned his head to see what had caused the colour to drain from the Doctor's face. The Reaper had found them, and for the umpteenth time it was coming for him.

Clark could be at the Doctor's side in a second, he could been at the storm shelter in the blink of an eye. But even though he'd just seen him effortlessly barge through a brick wall, Clark was still reluctant to reveal his speed. Unfortunately, running as fast as a regular person wasn't fast enough, and the Doctor could see that the Reaper would devour him before Clark made it to him.

"Clark, just run!" he screamed. "Please."

He could hear the Reaper howling in anticipation. He could see the Doctor in front of him, the green grass below, and the grey sky above. And then, with a sigh, those colours bled into each other, and in a split-second Clark was pulling the Doctor into the shelter and closing the doors.

The Doctor made no noticeable reaction to Clark's speed, instead looking at steel doors, waiting for something.

The steel shook from impact on the other side, and the Doctor jumped back slightly. A second later, the doors shuddered again, but remained closed.

The Doctor put at hand to them. "They're holding, for now."

"And what happens when it gets through?" Clark asked.

"Well, hopefully, it'll get bored and leave before then."

He patted the doors once more and then turned around. "Right, where were we?"

No sooner had the Doctor finished his sentence before Clark roughly picked him up by the lapels of his coat, dragged him away from the steel doors, and pinned him up against the wall of the storm shelter.

The Doctor spluttered; Clark's forearm was once again pressed against his throat. "Ah." he croaked. "That's right, now I remember."

"Innocent people disappearing, murderous dragons flying around." Clark growled. "I can't help but notice that this all started when you arrived in Smallville. And what did you mean by 'ship'?"

The Doctor coughed, but didn't reply.

"Answer me!" Clark yelled.

"I would." The Doctor managed to say. "But I might need, erm, whatdoyoucallit? Oh, that's right… _air_!"

Clark's eyes snapped down to his own arm, as if he hadn't realised it was applying pressure to The Doctor's airway. Reluctantly, he removed his arm and took a few steps back.

"Start talking."

The Doctor took a few deep breaths, fixed his tie, and went about choosing his next words.

"I'm not exactly from around here."

Clark recognised the euphemism he himself used on occasion. "Alien?"

The Doctor looked momentarily surprised that Clark would automatically reach that conclusion, but carried on. "Yes. When you found me on the road last night, my ship had randomly taken me here, and then vanished. And then I heard about these disappearances, and I thought I might be able to help."

Clark studied him for a moment, still suspicious. "So you don't have anything to do with that… Reaper-thing?"

"Ah." the Doctor said. "Well, sadly, I'm afraid I do."

"Did you bring it here?!"

"No! Its just, I've seen them before, and I know why they're here."

"Which is?"

Here came the hard part. "Okay. This might sound a bit mad, but… I'm a time traveller." He waited for the frustrated sigh of disbelief, the accusations of insanity, but they never came. Clark was just looking at him, waiting for him to go on. "Erm, yeah, like I said t-time trav - sorry, but I thought you might be more, I don't know, taken aback by the whole time travel thing."

"You're not the first time traveller I've met. Are you with the Legion?"

"The what?"

"The Legion. They're time travellers."

"No, I'm not. But that explains a few things." the Doctor said in frustration. "This 'Legion', they time travelled to Smallville to meet you?"

"Yes."

"Were they involved in anything, I mean like a major event?"

"They saved my friend's life."

Judging by the Doctor's reaction, that wasn't the answer he wanted. A nearby toolbox was sent flying to other side of the storm shelter from the force of his kick.

"Honestly! Where do these idiots come from?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"That thing, Clark, that Reaper thing!" the Doctor said as he paced around in anger. "I'll bet my lives that's only here 'cos of your Legion mates! Reapers live inside the time vortex; and they feel when time lines are disturbed, when someone starts messing around with time."

Clark considered asking what the 'time vortex' was, but thought a better question would be: "What does it want?"

The Doctor stopped pacing. He took a deep breath. "Time is a very delicate thing. It's a balance, of sorts. Go back and change small things, insignificant things, the universe learns to cope. But big things, and the balance is disturbed. The Reapers wipe out anyone at the root of the disturbance, and restore the balance."

Clark suddenly realised that the 'disappearances', weren't disappearances at all. "How does killing people restore the balance?!"

"It's complicated!"

"Explain it then."

"It's very complicated."

"I'm a smart guy!"

The Doctor again tried to search for the right words. "Travelling in time, and messing around in it, you attract these sort of… particles. Like, background radiation. It's harmless, but when time is messed around with, the Reapers kill people, and use the energy from these particles to restore the balance."

"But these people who disappeared, they weren't time-travellers! Ben Hubbard wasn't a time-traveller, he couldn't have had those particles!"

"Yes, but they were at the source of the disturbance! Your Legion mates show up, start changing established events, the whole of Smallville and probably most of Metropolis must have been covered in it!"

There was a moment of silence. And then Clark spoke, determined. "How can we stop them?"

"We can't." the Doctor said, painfully. "They won't stop. Not until they feel the balance is restored."

"There must be some way."

"Well, regardless, we need to get out of here first before we can do anything." He walked over to the steel doors and placed a hand on them again. "Still holding, but not forever."

"Why is it holding? That thing just tore through a house, why can't it get through those doors."

"A Reaper's strength comes from time disturbances. The older a structure is, the longer its just been sitting there in time, not doing anything it's not supposed to, the harder a time they have getting into it."

Silence fell upon them again, as both tried to invent an escape plan. And suddenly the Doctor turned to face Clark.

"How fast can you fly?" he asked.

On instinct, Clark felt his entire body stiffen. A stranger knowing about his powers was still uncommon for him, but he remembered that the Doctor had already seen him break through a wall and run at inhuman speeds. But flight? Where had he gotten that from?

"I can't fly."

"What?" the Doctor said. "How old are you?"

"22."

"_What?!_"

"What?"

"You should be able to fly by now! You should have been able to fly ages ago!" The Doctor whipped out the blue-torch thing he was using earlier, and pointed it in the direction of Clark.

"How would you know?" Clark asked, growing defensive as the blue thing buzzed in front of him.

"Time traveller, remember? I know what a Kryptonian can do on Earth, or what he should be able to do."

"I don't like how much you know about me."

"I have two hearts if it makes you feel any better." And Before Clark could even reply to that ludicrous statement, he added: "You _really_ should be able to fly."

"I don't think about it much. I get by just fine running, and that doesn't require me having to face my fear of heights."

"So what are you saying?" The Doctor asked. Then, realising what answer Clark might give, tried to stop him. "Wait, don't--" But he wasn't quick enough.

"I don't want to fly."

From outside, a high pitched howl rang out, and moments later the ground beneath their feet shook, and suddenly the steel doors had a large protruding indentation. The Reaper was getting in.

"Uh-oh." the Doctor muttered.

"You said the doors would hold!"

"They would of if you hadn't just thrown a giant paradox at them."

"A what?"

The doors were pounded again, and the hinges were starting to look weak.

"A paradox, something that contradicts something else happening in time. You said you didn't want to fly, but its your destiny to fly."

A third impact, and one of the four hinges that held the doors in place flew across the room.

The Doctor grabbed Clark by the shoulders. "Run. Run through the wall and back to the farm. Look up an organisation called U.N.I.T, Unified Intelligence Taskforce, they'll help you sort all this out."

"What about you?"

"I'm drenched to the skin with time energy, I should satisfy it for a while, enough to give you time to find out exactly what the Legion did and set things right."

"You're gonna let that thing kill you?"

Another hinge was removed as the door was struck again.

"Only way you'll survive."

"I'm not going to let you do that!"

"Clark, _you_ can't die. You can't. You die and this whole world goes to hell. You're only 22, you haven't even started yet."

The Doctor tried to use his most unwavering expression, but Clark just returned it with one of his own.

"I'm _not_ leaving you!"

"Clark for God's sake, I - "

This time, instead of a hinge flying across the room, one of the doors did. Both men turned to see the Reaper slowly but surely forcing itself into storm shelter.

"Clark, just go."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Right then. Fantastic. Then we'll both die!"

The Doctor didn't hear it at first. Apart from his frustration with Clark, the sight of the Reaper (and probably his death) forcing itself toward him was distracting. The remaining steel door beingbent as the Reaper forced its way through it covered the initial sounds, and he assumed the air he could feel on the back of his neck was coming from outside.

But eventually, as though it was calling out to him, he heard it. The wheezing, groaning sound of the last Type 40 in existence. He turned around.

The TARDIS had materialised in the corner.

The Reaper was had just about squeezed through. With no time to waste, the Doctor grabbed Clark by the wrist and pulled him towards it.

Clark was busy preparing to go down swinging when the Doctor grabbed hold of him. He was dragged to the other end of the room, where the Doctor was putting a key in the keyhole of a large, wooden blue box, no bigger than a phone booth. Clark couldn't remember if it had been there before. The Doctor got the door open and stepped in, and if Clark had been given the chance, he would have asked how a wooden box would protect them from the thing that had just ripped a house to shreds. He would have asked this, but the Doctor grabbed his jacket and dragged him inside, and just in time.

The Reaper had finally managed to fit its large self through the narrow opening. The Doctor slammed the doors of the box shut just as the Reaper lunged at them again. Much like before, its head could be heard slamming into the doors from the inside.

For a second or two, both men simply leaned against the doors, adrenaline causing quick, heavy breaths.

"Why can't it get in?" Clark asked.

The Doctor grinned. "This isn't just your average wooden box." he said, and walked away.

Clark kept his eyes where the Doctor had been, leaning against the door. Where, exactly, had he walked away to? Fearing what he might see, he turned around as slowly as he could.

An average wooden box, this was not.

A vast room was in the place of what should have only been a few feet of space. Small, window-like roundels covered the walls, which curved upwards to the ceiling to form a dome. A small ramp in front of Clark led up to a platform of metal grating in the centre of the room. The Doctor had walked up the ramp to the centre of the platform, where stood a circular console littered with lights, switches and buttons. A column rose out of the console, going all the way up to the ceiling; and the light emanating from it, compared to dark storm shelter he'd just been in, was disorienting. Surrounding the platform were five pillar-like structures, which split into two half-way up before meeting again and rising to the ceiling. He found himself leaning against the nearest one. The lights, the low humming coming from somewhere, and the very fact that this room shouldn't be able to fit into the small box he'd entered, were making him feel slightly fuzzy.

If the Doctor had noticed his reaction, he hadn't drawn attention to it. Instead, he stood at the console panel, and appeared to be stroking the column with both hands.

"You came back!" He was saying with great affection. "Oh, don't you worry, I forgive you already!"

"Doc-Doctor…" Clark just about managed to say. "What…What is…Wh…What?" hyperventilating

"This is that ship I was telling you about, Clark!" The Doctor finally turned to see him hyperventilating, and laughed. "Oh, come on, Clark! The things you've seen! All the strange and crazy things in your life, and you're going to be sick over a little box that's bigger on the inside!"

Clark took a few deep breaths, and forced himself to calm down. He half wanted to go outside and get another look at the exterior, but judging by the constant pounding on the doors, the Reaper would be waiting for him.

"The Reaper." Clark said, getting his voice under control. "We can't just fly away."

"'Course not." the Doctor replied. "The Reaper will just find someone else to kill."

"So what do we do?"

"Only one thing we can do, and chances are it won't work." He turned back to the console and started pushing buttons and pulling levers. The ship seemed to respond, and Clark could hear rumblings like the sound of old, metal gears working. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna open the doors just enough to get the Reaper stuck in them, then the TARDIS will take us into the time vortex, and we can dump the Reaper there and go home."

"What's 'the TARDIS'?" Clark asked. "No, what's the 'time vortex'?"

"I'll explain later!" the Doctor said, seemingly done at the control panel and now rooting around inside his coat pocket for something. After a few seconds of rummaging, he produced an ordinary cricket ball and ran back to Clark.

They both looked at the wooden doors, the constant the thud of the Reaper launching itself against them reminding them how dangerous this plan was.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked.

Clark swallowed, and nodded. To his astonishment, despite a high probability of death hanging in the air, the Doctor's face morphed into a manic, tooth-filled smile.

"Allons-y!!" he cried.

Clark took the left door, the Doctor the right. Pushing their shoulders and all their weight against it, and with one final glance at each other, they opened the doors a few inches.

Almost instantly, a few inches became more than they intended; and had they not been bracing themselves, the force with which the Reaper had struck the doors may have thrown them to the floor. What it did do, was allow the Reaper a far more dangerous amount of space. Clark, pushing back as much as he could, risked a glance and saw that the Reaper had managed to get a wing and its carnivorous face inside the doors.

It was howling as loud as it could, it's prey was so close yet still out of reach. It pushed with all it's might against the doors, making more progress on the Doctor's side as Clark's strength was much greater. In fact, the Doctor's feet were mounted on the railings that served as a hand-rail for the ramp up to the console, and he was using it to push back with as much force as possible.

"Got 'im?" Clark heard the Doctor shout over the howls of the Reaper.

"Yeah." Clark replied.

"Okay! Here we go!"

The Doctor, still applying maximum pressure against the door, pulled back his arm and threw the cricket ball towards the console, which apparently found its mark, as he cried a joyous "Ha!".

The floor of the ship began to rumble, and Clark could see that metal disks inside the column were rising and falling, accompanied by a bizarre grinding noise. If Clark didn't know any better, he'd say the Reaper had realised what was happening, because it was now swinging its wing at his face, the edges of which looked razor sharp, and snapping its jaws in the direction of the Doctor. Something caught his cheek, and sliced his flesh slightly.

Air was rushing in from the doors, which Clark took to mean they were 'in flight', and he hoped that they would arrive soon. The Reaper was edging further and further in, the Doctor's feet were shaking against the rail; he wouldn't be able to hold for much longer, and this creature was too strong for Clark to hold back alone.

"Doctor!" Clark called. "He's getting through!"

"Just a bit longer!" he cried.

And seconds later, dark glares of deep reds and blues streamed in through the gap in the doors.

"We're in the vortex!" The Doctor announced. "Okay! Push him out!"

Clark tried to catch his eyes over the Reaper. He couldn't be serious. "What?! Push him out?! We can barely stop him getting in!! That's it, that's your whole plan?!"

"Admittedly I didn't have time to think it through!"

Their arguing was interrupted. The Reaper well and truly knew what they were planning to do, and it wasn't going down so easy. It thrashed with renewed fury, it's wing opening up a few fresh slices on Clark's face. One of the Doctor's legs fell from it's place on the rail, and the creature was able to push further through.

The plan was failing. The Reaper was about 30 seconds away from getting in and devouring them both. Clark's mind raced as he scrambled for an idea. The Reaper had pushed itself downwards now, trying to catch the Doctor's legs in its mouth.

Then he saw it. It had rolled down the ramp after the Doctor had threw it at the console, and it was inches from the Reaper's face: the cricket ball. Without another second's thought, he shot a blast of heat vision at the ball, and it exploded directly in front the Reaper's eyes.

Blinded, the creature stopped struggling for a second in shock; it was all they needed. The Doctor turned and put all his weight on the door, and Clark bravely put a hand at it's neck and shoved it out. Their last glimpse of it was as it desperately tried to block the doors with it's wing, but it was too late.

As the reds and blue's blinded Clark's eyes, he instinctively pushed the doors closed and collapsed against them in exhaustion. The Doctor fell down next to him.

"I loved that ball." he said, seemingly upset. "Dickie Bird gave me that ball."

He endured the glare Clark sent his way, then burst out laughing.

* * *

Not long after, Clark sat on one of the elevated couch chairs in front of the console, the Doctor on the one opposite him.

"Who are you?" Clark found himself asking in amazement.

"Told you, I'm the Doctor."

"Yeah, but, where are you from? Where did you get all…" he cast his eyes once more around the impossible machine. "…this."

"This is the TARDIS." he said, deliberately ignoring the first question. "Time and Relative Dimension in Space".

"And it's a… time machine?"

"The best there ever was. Even if she did run away for some reason."

"And that thing, the Reaper?"

"Ancient beings. Reapers live in the time vortex. That was that place with the reds and blues. It's what the TARDIS travels in, what any time-traveller travels in. It's a passageway to different points in time."

"It was strong." Clark said, remembering how they had barely kept the Reaper out of the TARDIS. "Stronger than me, and that doesn't happen often."

"Well, in fairness, you were getting weaker." Clark looked at him quizzically. "The Sun's rays can't get in here, and in the vortex there was no Sun. Your powers were fading every second."

Clark realised that the cuts on his cheek had not healed yet, and he got that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. Even if he was starting to trust this 'Doctor', he knew far too much about Clark.

"Your Legion mates, how did they travel?"

"Well, they had rings and -"

"Oh!" The Doctor interrupted, realisation dawning on his face. "_That_ Legion! The Legion of Su…" He stopped abruptly again, glancing at Clark strangely for a second. "Well, the Legion, anyway."

"You know them?"

He sighed. "My race, the Time Lords, we were sort of in charge of time. We were aware of anyone trying to use time-travel, 'cos we were kind of the only ones who had perfected it." He furrowed his brow in confusion. "But, as I remember, the Legion were always very careful when they used their rings. They wouldn't have done anything bad enough to attract Reapers."

"They were very careful about telling me too much about the future." Clark offered, but the Doctor didn't seem to be listening.

"The Reaper got stronger when you mentioned you were never going to fly."

"So."

"Clark Kent flies, established _fact_. Maybe the Legion didn't bring the Reapers here."

"So… who did?"

"You."


	7. Chapter 7

This is a pretty short chapter. The next chapter is almost the second half of this one, and I would have posted them as one, but I like the cliffhanger of this chapter. Also, I feel I should mention that individual chapter titles was not something I planned, I just liked the sound the of 'Coffee, Kissing and Clom' for the prologue. I kind of wish I hadn't done it now, they're getting harder to think of.

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

** The Glaring Time Lord**

"Me?" Clark said. "How could I have brought them, I didn't know what they were until an hour ago?"

"Do you have all of your other powers? X-ray vision, heat vision, hearing, breath?"

"Yes, but how do you know ab-"

"I've seen the future, that's all you need to know." He was quickly up from his seated position, and pacing around the TARDIS. "How long's it been since the Legion were in Smallville?"

"A couple of weeks."

"So it couldn't have been the Legion, 'cos the Reapers have only been taking people since this morning, when the TARDIS brought me here." He looked up at the column in sympathy and, as though speaking to the ship itself, said "You must have felt the Reaper's presence as soon as we landed, and then you legged it." The floor rumbled again. "It's okay, I forgive you, you've already made up for it. Just… a bit of warning would have been nice."

Clark was amazed to hear a wheezing coming from the column, almost in response. He would have questioned it, but the Doctor started pacing again.

"So if whatever happened to summon the Reapers must have happened at around about the same time as I landed then…" He swiftly turned to look Clark in the eye, deadly serious. "Clark what were you doing at 3 o'clock this morning?"

He remembered, and winced in embarrassment. But the Doctor didn't need to know that part, all he needed to know was: "I was at work."

* * *

Chloe Sullivan strode into the basement newsroom of _The Daily Planet_. Not so long ago, she did this every morning, but not anymore.

As long as she could remember, reporting for the Daily Planet was the only job she ever wanted. Nothing else ever crossed her mind. But, over the last year or so, that ambition had also faded away. When she had first been fired from _The Planet_, there was too much going on for her to reflect on her time there. But over the last few months she had been surprised to find that she didn't miss her 'dream job' as much as she thought she would. It almost felt like her desire to work for _The Planet_, and her determination to do so, had stopped her from experiencing other things. Her time running the Isis Foundation had been a breath of fresh air. And she was happy for her cousin and her best friend, who were making progress in her former job.

She had just returned from Star City. Her husband, Jimmy Olsen, (Chloe smiled at the thought, she was still getting used to calling him her husband) was well enough to return to Metropolis and be placed under the care of doctors there.

When she saw that neither Lane nor Kent were at their desks, she debated whether or not to wait, as she didn't know where they had gone or when they'd be back.

Distant footsteps and the newsroom door being opened again made her turn and look. A man had entered, but it wasn't Clark, and he had stopped in his tracks almost immediately.

He was tall, wearing a blue suit with a long overcoat, and he was staring directly at Chloe with an unfriendly gaze.

Chloe furrowed her brow. Did she know this man? Had she done something to offend him? If not, then why was he looking at her like that?

Thankfully, Clark was not far behind the stranger.

"I said wait!" he said, annoyed. Then, he saw who his companion was staring at, but clearly didn't realise that it was more of a glare, as he smiled.

"Chloe."

"Hi." she said, putting on a smile and tearing her eyes away from the man.

Clark walked over to Chloe and his desk, the man following.

"Did you just get back?" Clark asked.

"Yeah."

This time, Clark noticed Chloe's eyes flicking towards his new friend, whose eyes were still locked onto her.

"Oh, sorry. Chloe this is John Smi--"

"Doctor." the man interrupted, without with any trace of a greeting in his voice. "I'm The Doctor." Chloe thought it sound more like a statement than an introduction; a warning almost.

"…Chloe Sullivan." she said, still trying to keep her smile up.

And for a second or two, no one said anything. Chloe felt extremely uncomfortable under the man's piercing gaze, Clark was just picking up on the Doctor's hostile tone, and the Doctor himself just kept staring at Chloe, right into her eyes.

"So." Clark said, clearing his throat as he tried to break the tension. "Did you need me?"

"Uh, no." Chloe said, turning back to Clark. "I just wanted to let you know that Jimmy's being moved to Metropolis General."

"That's great, Chloe." Clark smiled.

"I know, so you can come visit whenever you like."

"I will do."

Silence emerged again.

"Well," she said eventually. "I better be going. I'll see you later Clark. And it was nice to meet you, Doctor."

"And you." He replied, as cold as before.

With one last awkward smile at Clark, Chloe quickly left the room.

Instantly, Clark turned to The Doctor.

"What the hell was that about?"

He didn't answer. He had watched Chloe leave out of the corner of his eye, and now stared at door she had just walked through.

"She," he said; slowly, quietly. "is wrong."


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry its been a while since the last chapter, but I had some essays due in for Uni, so this had to take a back seat. All done now, so Allons-y!

Obviously I'm taking Smallville almost completely AU. But I kind of wanted this story to fit in with the Tenth Doctor's Era of Doctor Who, as though it was the special in between _Waters of Mars_ and _The End of Time_, and I wanted it to be finished before Tennant steps down as the Doctor. That may seem a bit silly, as this story has no effect of actual, televised Doctor Who, but I'm a crazy person, so I would like it to fit in like that. Which means one of two things is about to happen. 1) There will be lot of updates over the next two weeks, and the story will be finished before _The End of Time Part Two_ goes out on New Year's Day. OR 2)I'll completely miss that, and this story will just keep going as normal, long after Tennant has finished and handed over to Matt Smith.

My guess? Considering how crazy a time Christmas is, I'm betting on scenario 2.

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**The Perfect Plan**

"Clark, who was that?"

"Chloe Sullivan, like she said, _my best friend!_"

The Doctor, who had previously kept his eyes on the doors Chloe had just walked through, suddenly turned back to Clark.

"And how long have you known her?"

"Since high school."

Clark waited for an explanation, but The Doctor just looked away again, deep in thought.

For the second time, he swiftly turned back to Clark.

"Clark, I don't know how I can tell you this about your best friend, but just… just…"

"Just what?" Clark snapped.

"Just be careful." He said, and seeing Clark begin to reply, "Look, we've got more important things to worry about! You were here this morning?"

Clark was still angry, but forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Which wasn't hard, as embarrassment quickly overcame his anger. He nodded to his desk. "I was sitting there."

The Doctor looked down at the desk, pulled out the chair and sat down into it. Clark saw him pull something out of his coat, it was thin, metal and about as long as a pen. The Doctor was pointing it at everything on Clark's desk, and it began to glow blue at the end and buzz.

"What is that?"

"Sonic Screwdriver." the Doctor muttered in reply.

"What does it do?"

"What doesn't it do? That's a better question." The Doctor said with a slight smile. "It's scanning for anything that might have attracted Reapers."

"Like what?" Clark asked, doubting his stapler could have brought about those creatures.

"Anything out of its time. Imagine finding a cell phone in Ancient Rome, or a bazooka in 1066."

"Why would anything like that be on my desk?"

"Might have fallen through time or a rift somewhere, been passed around and ended up here." He pulled out each one of the desk's draws, scanning inside them, and pushed the last draw back slightly harder than was required. "Nothing."

He ran his hands through his hair, still looking over the desk for anything he might have missed. As he was doing so, Clark suddenly remembered something.

"Wait." he said, the Doctor removing his hands from his hair and looking at him. "At exactly 3am, I would have actually been sitting here." He walked around to Lois' desk, the Doctor quickly following and sitting down in that chair. He aimed his sonic screwdriver again, ready to scan, but stopped.

The computer monitor on the desk was covered in soot, and a small amount of smoke was still rising from it.

"Hang on…" he said, remembering his meeting with a certain young lady who led him to Ben Hubbard's farm . "This desk is… well, I don't think I got her name, but it's not yours anyway. Why were you sitting here?"

Clark frowned. "How do you know Lois?"

"It doesn't matter how I know her, why were you sit - " He stopped again, his face gradually becoming a strange mix of realization and horror. His eyes shot down to the nameplate on the desk and, having read it, he pushed his chair away from the desk as though it had burnt him.

"Doctor?" came Clark's nervous voice. "Are you - "

"What were you doing," he asked, getting to his feet. "at 3 o'clock this morning, in the Daily Planet, with _Lois Lane?!"_

"Nothing, I mean, I… proofread her article, that's it."

"Did you touch her?"

The question caught Clark off guard, and all he could do was wordlessly open and close his mouth.

"Clark." The Doctors voice was quiet and serious. "I can't tell you how many lives are at stake if you don't tell me the absolute truth right now. Did you touch her?"

Blushing, and so quiet the Doctor barely heard, Clark answered, "I kissed her."

It was a strange reaction. First, the Doctor flinched, as though he'd just suffered a blow to the mid-section. Then, out of nowhere, he smacked Clark as hard as he could across the side of his head.

Clark, who had felt no pain, incredulously exclaimed "What did you do that for?"

The Doctor's hand was throbbing, but he didn't let it show. "What did _you_ do _that_ for?!"

"What?!"

"You _kissed_ Lois Lane?! Are you an idiot?!"

Clark didn't have the smallest clue what was going on, but the Doctor looked quite distressed.

"One Reaper?! There should be a bloody army of them!! You _kissed_ Lois Lane? Here? Now?"

"Calm down."

"Do you realise what you've done?"

Before Clark could reply, the door to the newsroom opened.

"Yes, I know what time it is, but surely technicians can come out for emergencies, like doctors? … I've already told you what happened, my computer blew up! … Yes, literally!"

Lois finally caught sight of the other two people in the room. She immediately snapped her phone shut.

"You!" she barked at the Doctor. "What the hell did you do to my computer?"

The Doctor didn't answer, just stared at her. He didn't actually believe it till now. Lois Lane, Clark Kent, far too early.

"How do you two know each other?" Clark demanded.

"He blew up my computer!" She turned her gaze to him, and then faltered, as if only just realising he was there. Their eyes met, and both forgot about the Doctor, and were inwardly cringing at the thought of the last time they were in this room together.

"Technically," came the Doctor's quiet voice. "I only blew up your monitor." And he collapsed into the chair, his hands covering his face.

* * *

Clark found the Doctor in the loft, staring out into the night.

"Here." he said, handing him a mug. "Hope it's okay, I've never really made tea before."

"It's fine." the Doctor said after a sip.

A silence fell between them again. The Doctor hadn't spoken more than a few words since dragging Clark out of the Daily Planet, saying only that he needed time to think. What exactly he was thinking about, Clark wasn't sure he wanted to know, given the grimness of the Doctor's facial expression.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Clark said. "Whatever's happened, whatever's got you this worried."

The Doctor met his gaze briefly, nodded, and looked back out into the dark fields.

"What have I done?" Clark asked. From the Doctor's smack to his head, Clark had gotten the impression it was his doing.

"It's not your fault" said the Doctor. "You can't have known."

"Known what?" His frustration was rising. He had asked the Doctor many times since they left the Planet to explain things, but he had yet to receive an answer.

"Clark, things in your life are happening that weren't supposed to happen. And some things are happening far too early. Your timeline is all wrong."

"And you know this because…"

"Time-traveller, Clark, keep up."

"Yeah, but… what's so special about me? Why do you have my timeline memorized."

The Doctor looked away. "I can't answer that. Not without messing things up even more." And before Clark could argue, "Tell me again how you met her. Lois."

"She came to Smallville." Clark repeated for the umpteenth time. "To investigate her cousin's death, we've been friends ever since."

"No." the Doctor shook his head and paced around the room. "No, that's all wrong. Lois Lane never even heard the word Smallville till she met you when you were adults."

"Okay, so I met her as a teenager, what's the worst that can come of that?" Clark asked.

"It's not just Lois, it other stuff. Knowing Lex Luthor this early. Everything that happened between you and Lana. It's all wrong. Your mother's not a state senator, she's not supposed to be anyway. And your father…"

"What about my father?" Clark said when he didn't finish.

The Doctor's face was solemn again. "Clark, if I know my history, Jonathan Kent lived to an old age."

Now it was Clark's face that took a dark turn. He took a step towards the Doctor. "So what you're saying is that my dad shouldn't have died."

"No, that's not how it was supposed to go.

"You're talking about my life like it's a fairy tale! People have died. My friends, my family. You're telling me they shouldn't have?"

"No. It's all wrong."

"So what's happened? Have I made the wrong choice somewhere down the line. The Legion said little things like that can change an entire life."

"They can do, and its possible that's what's happened, but… I dunno. Nine times out of ten, my instincts are right. And right now, every inch of me is saying that this was no accident. I think someone's travelled back in time and done this to you, purposefully."

"Why would someone do that?"

"You don't understand." The Doctor went about choosing his words carefully, not wanting to give too much away. "In the future you're a symbol of justice. You stop a lot of people doing very bad things, and they don't take it too well. It was only a matter of time really. Logically, once they fail to beat you in the present they…" His face became a picture of realisation again. "No! Oh, yes! Why didn't I see it before? It's the perfect plan! Travel back to before you became… well, you, and stump your growth! Stop you the person who keeps stopping them! Oh, it's brilliant. I mean, terrible, horrific, but… genius."

"What about my family? My biological family. The Kryptonians. Should they have died? Should I even be on Earth."

The Doctor looked at him. He knew the heartbroken look on Clark's face far too well. "No, that bit's right, that was supposed to happen. Your father always sent you here to save your life."

Silently, Clark turned back to look out into the field. The Doctor knew the heartbroken look on his face far too well.

The Doctor walked back over to him and sighed. "Unfortunately, Clark, we have more in common than you might realise ."

Clark looked at him curiously, and saw again the grim, haunted look cross the Doctor's features.

"I'm not just a Time Lord, Clark. I'm the last of the Time Lords. My race is dead, I'm all that's left."

For years, Clark struggled to live with the fact that he was the only person who'd be able to make that statement. And when the Doctor said it, he was surprised to find that all he could say was "I'm sorry." And then, "What happened?"

"There was another race, the Daleks. They wanted to kill everything that wasn't like them; to cleanse the universe of everything other than Dalek-kind. The Time Lords tried to stop them. There was a war. And in the end, both races perished." Something new appeared in his eyes, a glint of fury, and he added: "Or, so I thought. Daleks survive. Just when I allow myself to believe, to hope, for a second, that they're gone. They survive."

"And they're coming." the Doctor muttered, looking towards the stars. "To earth. Not for a few years. It's in my past, but you're future. I managed to stop them, with a little help from my friends. But the world afterwards, is a very wounded one. They'll need hope. They'll need something to believe in. They'll need you, Clark. That's why we have to fix this, you and me. We have to set your timeline back on the right path, and let you become… what you're destined to be."

"Can we set things right, though?" Clark asked. "Is it too late?"

"Oh, Clark." he said. And the grin that Clark hadn't seen since they were facing the Reaper found its way back onto the Doctor's face. "It's never too late!"

* * *

I was going to call this chapter **The Daleks In The Loft**, due to the Dalek conversation taking place in the Loft. But I though people might be a bit let down when they didn't read about an actual Dalek appearing in the loft.


	9. Chapter 9

Less than two weeks till the regnenration!! BBC One are going crazy promoting this year's Christmas Special. That 'Tennant flying the TARDIS like a sleigh' ident is on during EVERY SINGLE advert break.

And seeing as this is also a Smallville story, I feel I should also mention that I'm excited for the Justice Society TV Movie.

...Just not as much as _The End of Time_.

Also, go to his website and read Paul Cornell's _The Last Doctor_. It's beautiful.

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

**The Most Important Meal Of The Day**

"Right!" the Doctor cried, entering the Kent house and throwing his coat onto the kitchen table. "We need a plan. And a good one."

"I know I've only just met you, but you seem more like a 'make it up as I go along' kind of guy." Clark replied, entering the kitchen behind him.

"I do give that impression, don't I? And usually I would, 'cos its more fun that way. But this is different! We're dealing with time here. Slightest mistake and we get the Reapers again, and I don't think they'd fall for the same trick twice."

"So?" Clark asked, trying to follow him with his eyes but having difficulty, the Doctor was pacing the kitchen at high speeds.

"The way I see it we have two options. Option Number One: We find out what the original change to your timeline was, I jump in the TARDIS, go back in time to that point and set it right."

"I get the feeling that wouldn't be as simple as you make it sound."

The Doctor grinned at him. "Aren't we perceptive tonight. Oh, is it 'tonight'? Sun seems to be on its way up, s'pose its technically morning. Time flies its being messed around with."

"Doctor." Clark interrupted.

"Sorry, yes, back on topic. Where was I?"

"You were about to explain the complications of Option One."

"Yes, of course. Well, the biggest complication is that it might not solve anything. Until we find out who's messing with your timeline, I can go back and sort things out all I like, it's not going to stop them trying again. As well as that…" He stopped pacing.

"What?" Clark asked.

"Would you want me to that? Go back and change things?"

"And bring my father back to life? Bring back everyone who has died because of me? Of course I would."

"But I can't bring them back forever. Everybody has their time, Clark. I might stop your Dad dying now, but he'll die someday. So will everyone else I bring back. Can't escape it. And all the grief you feel, I can't stop you feeling that. And what about the people that lived? You've had more heartbreak in 22 years than some people have in a lifetime. But what about the good times? The memories of your father, of your friends? I go back in time, and there's a chance they never happen. That goes for everything you've ever known, you're whole life. Everyone you've met. Everything between you and Lana… and Lois. Even after all the terrible things in your life, would you want to lose those moments?"

He'd definitely suffered more tragedies than most in his young life, and the thought of having them disappear was more than tempting, as was the chance to see his father again. And yet, he couldn't help thinking about the other parts of his life. All the Christmases he spent in this house with his parents. Hanging out in the Torch with Pete and Chloe. Even if it had ended badly, those moments with Lana in the loft. And, despite his best efforts not to, he thought about two nights ago in the Daily Planet, at 3am, with a certain brunette.

The Doctor was right, his father would have inevitably died. But those memories live on.

"No." he answered. And then, because it was true, he added "I feel like I should have said Yes."

The Doctor smiled. "But you didn't." he said. "You are human, you do know that? I don't care what your biology says; what you just did, that decision, that is so human."

Clark suddenly wanted to change the subject. "So, Option One is out."

The Doctor smiled once more, then returned to pacing. "Yes, it is. Because, apart from anything else, time's already been changed once, changing it again might be dangerous. So, that leaves Option Two: We keep things as they are. I don't think your timeline has been damaged _that_ badly yet, chances are you'll still become… what it is you grow up to become."

"I thought my timeline was all wrong?"

"Well, it's different, and that's obviously slowed you down but…" He struggled to find the words. "See, whoever's doing this must have some knowledge of time travel. That's why they didn't just go back and kill you as a baby, they knew it would tear the web of time. No, they're being clever. They've got a plan. They're changing small things, seemingly insignificant at the time, but massive in the bigger picture. But this is a process, they have to change things at specific points throughout the years of your life. Eventually, through changing all these things, they've steered you're timeline off course, you've made different decisions than you should had. And when it all adds up, they've ensured that you grow up to become a completely different person. They've changed things just ever so slightly that the balance of time stays in place, but so much that you never become the person who causes them so much trouble in the future."

"And the process isn't that far along yet?"

"You're still the Clark Kent I've read about. You still want to help people. But you're reluctant to dedicate yourself to it, to become the symbol of hope you're supposed to be. That could still change in a few years. I mean, this whole 'Blur' thing is you taking a small step towards that."

"How did you I was the Blur?" Clark asked.

"There's a _Daily Planet _in the loft, I read it while you made me my tea." The Doctor quickly explained. "But, the point is, their plan can only be about halfway through. And you becoming the 'Blur' has got to have them worried, they might step things up."

Confused again, Clark had to interrupt. "Wait, if things are that bad yet, then why has a Reaper shown up? And things have been being changed for so long, why have they only appeared now? "

The Doctor stopped and again went made sure his words were carefully chosen. "Because only small things have been being changed. Like I said, small enough that balance of time wasn't disturbed. But two nights ago… something happened. Something that absolutely shouldn't have happened, not yet anyway."

Clark didn't even have to think back two nights ago, he knew what the Doctor was talking about. "Lois."

"You can't ask me questions. I'm sorry, you just can't, because I can't answer them." And the Doctor looked, genuinely, sorry. "Just know that what happened was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and that's what summoned the Reapers."

Clark ignored the tinge of frustration. "So how do we find them? The people doing this?"

"Ah, now, that's where it gets complicated." He leant against the kitchen table. "Cos first I'll need to work out _how_ they're doing this."

"I should go to the Fortress." Clark said. "Speak to Jor-El see if he can help."

"Good idea. I forgot all about the Fortress. Ask him if he's noticed anything out of the ordinary, anything at all."

Clark didn't bother asking how he knew about the Fortress. "What will you do while I'm gone?"

"Figure out how this could of happened." he answered. "Oh, but first, breakfast! Before anything, I'll need some breakfast. What time's the Talon open? Do they do a full English?"

* * *

Chloe shut her car door behind her and hurried towards the Kent Farm House, hoping Clark would be up this early. She had told herself to let it go, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. She used the computers in the Isis Foundation to look up anything to do with 'The Doctor', and was horrified at the results. Every major disaster you could think of, 'The Doctor' had been at the centre of it. wherever he went, death and destruction followed. Even more worrying was that there seemed to be evidence of his existence as far back as the 1800s. Anywhere else, she would doubt it was the same Doctor. It couldn't be the same man, that would make him over a hundred years old. But this was Smallville. All the evidence suggested that this man could be dangerous. She had to warn Clark.

"Clark?" Chloe called, closing the Kent's door shut behind her. "Hello?"

"Hello." A voice replied. Her gaze snapped towards the Doctor as he appeared in the doorway on the other side of the room, his voice just as cold and unfriendly as before.

"Oh." was all she could say. "Um… is Clark here?"

"No."

"Oh. Where is he?"

"He's gone out."

"And… he's left you here?"

"There a problem?" He asked.

"No. It's just interesting."

"Is it?"

Chloe tried to keep her voice polite, she didn't want him to know she was on to him. "Well, Clark _just_ met you. I'm just surprised he left you alone in his house."

"I'm a very trustworthy person."

"Oh, I'll bet you are." she said, without thinking.

The Doctor showed know indication of offence, instead deciding to take a step into the kitchen, and continue their game of glaring at each other. "But what about you, Chloe Sullivan?"

"What about me?" Chloe shot back, dropping all pretences.

"How long have you known Clark?"

"Since High School… not that its any of your business."

"Oh, I think it is my business. And _what_ do you know about Clark?"

Chloe stiffened. What did _he_ know about Clark?

"Only that he's a farmer/aspiring journalist who at times can see good in people that isn't there."

The Doctor's smirk was void of humour.

"So." Chloe said. "Do you have any idea when Clark will be back?"

"Oh, he'll be gone a good while, I should think. He's gone quite a long way, after all."

"Would you be able to tell me where exactly he's gone?"

"Certainly." And watching her reaction closely, he said "North"

She started to panic. Did he mean the Fortress? He wouldn't. He wouldn't be so careless. Clark surely hadn't told his secret to a man he'd known for just over 24 hours.

"N-North?" she stuttered.

"That's right."

She wanted to scream, to accuse, to protect Clark. But she wasn't sure if Clark _had_ revealed his secret, and if she did any of those things then she most certainly would. So, instead, she demanded: "Who are you?"

His smirk vanished, his glare reappearing, he took another step forward. "Oh, I'm the Doctor. Look in the right places, you'll find out all you need to know about me. But, the real question is who are you, Chloe Sullivan? Because I've been all over the place, and I've never come across you."

Chloe's brain worked to find a suitable retort, before realising that what he'd said made absolutely no sense. "What?" she said.

"You heard me."

Chloe had had enough. More importantly, though, if he was as dangerous as she was beginning to suspect, and Clark really wasn't here, it might not be safe to stay here for much longer. But there was something she had to do first.

She took a step towards him, but more importantly towards the kitchen table, where the Doctor's coat lay. "Whatever. Let me get to the point. Clark is my best friend, but his aforementioned habit of trusting people who don't deserve it is crippling. If I found out you're taking advantage of him, you'll have to deal with me."

"A threat?" the Doctor said, with his hands coolly resting in his pockets. "From a little girl like you? A little, trustworthy, wholesome girl like Chloe Sullivan. Shouldn't hold much water." His eyes darkened. "_Unless_. Unless little, trustworthy, wholesome Chloe Sullivan isn't what she appears."

Her brain didn't even bother this time. "Are you insane?"

He merely smirked again.

"Actually, forget it. Just stay away from Clark."

"Nah, I'll stay where I am, thanks."

They stared at each other again, nothing left to say. Chloe tried to hold his gaze, but there was just something about those eyes. His expression was cool, no trace of anger. But his eyes were burning into her, and she couldn't take it anymore. With as much defiance as she could muster, she held the glare until she was at the door, turned, and left.

* * *

Clark made his way across the glaciers that formed the foundation of the fortress. He walked untill he reached the centre of the dazzling structure.

"Jor-El." He called out.

There was no reply. Immediately, Clark sensed something was wrong. Jor-El usually answered instantly, often leaving Clark with a feeling that he'd known Clark was coming before Clark did.

This time, there was silence. Though, Clark noticed, the wind inside the fortress seemed to be a lot more volatile than usual.

Then Clark heard something, a whispering of sorts. He couldn't make it out very clearly, it was being covered by the wind.

"Jor-El?" he cried again.

This time, he received a reply.

"My son." came the booming voice of his father. Or, at least, his biological father. Or, at least, his biological father's memory.

Clark considered asking about his lateness in replying, but decided that there were more pressing matters at hand. "I've been told that my personal timeline has been disturbed, and is being used against me."

Silence again.

"Have you sensed anything? Anything out of the ordinary in my life?"

"Not as such. Who, if I might ask, has told you of these disturbances?"

"A time-traveller." Clark answered. "He calls himself the Doctor."

The floor beneath him shook, as though it's very foundation had cracked.

"Doctor?" Jor-El asked.

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"'The Doctor' was an alias," Jor-El said. "sometimes used by General Zod."

"Zod?" Clark asked in confusion.

"It was based around the notion that his crimes against our race were, in his mind, intended to heal and cleanse our world of those who were unfit to live on it."

"Zod is locked in the Phantom Zone." Clark reminded him. "There's no way it could be the same man. The name must be a coincidence."

"Many downfalls have been the result of supposed coincidences, my son."

"Even so, I've spent the last few hours with him, during which he had many opportunities to kill me. Instead, he's saved my life."

"He must be trying to gain your trust, my son."

Clark considered the possibility, but despite his initial suspicions, he was sure the Doctor was who he said he was. "No, you're wrong Jor-El. This man is not Zod, he's here to help me. I trust him."

"Kal-El, you must listen to me. The Time Lord is dangerous, imprison him in the Phantom Zone."

His brain had to replay that sentence. "…Time Lord?" Clark asked.

Jor-El was silent again, but the fortress continued to tremble.

"Another name for Zod." Jor-El finally answered. "He considered himself the Lord of Krypton for all time.

That sentence confirmed Clark's fear.

"If you sure, Jor-El. I'll bring him here and send him to the Phantom Zone." he lied.

He took one last look around the fortress, and in a second, was gone.

* * *

The Doctor nearly choked on his toast as Clark burst into the kitchen at superspeed. One look at his face told him something was wrong.

"We have a problem. The Fortress has been infected."


	10. Chapter 10

**It's here!! THE END OF TIME ITSELF!!**

**The End of Time Part 1, BBC One, 6pm. Don't miss it.**

**Anyway, the next chapter:**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

**The Voice From The Fortress**

"What do you mean, 'infected'?" the Doctor asked.

"Jor-El just tried to convince me you were Zod, and that I should send you to the Phantom Zone."

"Zod?!"

"He's a kr-"

"A Kryptonian criminal, yeah."

"He called you a Time Lord, and I hadn't even mentioned it. He tried to make up for it, scramble for an explanation, but I could tell. Someone else was speaking through him."

The Doctor turned away in thought.

"You said the Blur might have them worried, whoever it is that's messing with my life. What if, when I became the Blur, they took over the Fortress, to regain control."

"Control." the Doctor breathed, so quiet that even with his level of hearing, Clark barely heard him.

"Doctor." Clark spoke. "What is it?"

"Control." he repeated, louder this time. "It's obvious. Oh, its so obvious."

"What is?"

He whirled round to face him. "Think about it, Clark! You want to manipulate someone, to control to what they do, what's the best way to do that? Assume the position of the person they rely on the most! And before you argue about your Earth parents or your friends, when you were lost, when you had no answers, when you were completely out of options… where did you go?"

Realisation flooded him. "The Fortress." he said. And before that, the Kawatche Caves. And the ship before that. Wherever 'Jor-El' was. "I was never speaking to my father, was I?"

"I don't think so." the Doctor answered.

This time it was Clark who started to pace. "It all makes sense. All the things in my life, all the things you said shouldn't have happened. Jor-El was at the centre of them."

"And I bet it goes further than that." the Doctor said. "All the times you've felt alone, and alien. All the times you wished you never had your powers, regardless of the lives you could save. I'll bet 'Jor-El' was the cause of those moments too." Clark's silence was his answer. "Its been trying to make you wish you'd never been born. It's been trying to make a hero the last thing you want to be."

There was silence again, that last sentence hanging in the air. Until Clark turned back to the Doctor.

"But it failed." he said, his eyes full of something the Doctor had only read about in history books. It the future, that look would be accompanied by a red cape billowing behind it. "I'm going to tear that place to the ground, find whoever this is, and stop them before they hurt anyone else."

"Now," the Doctor grinned. "_that_ sounds like Clark Kent. But the Fortress isn't our next stop."

"Then where is?"

"Luthorcorp." he replied, grabbing his coat and walking out the door.

* * *

The floor of the Fortress was still trembling.

The child knew. He must. Otherwise he would have returned by now. No matter, the problem was easily resolvable. It was the other one that might cause difficulties, and must therefore be removed.

Long blades of ice broke through the foundations of the Fortress. Dozens of them, rising and hovering in the air. Then they were drawn together, the right pieces meeting at the right points.

His army was born.

* * *

Hours later, Luthorcorp's Metropolis Headquarters was silent, and empty.

In an office on the tenth floor, a wind arrived from nowhere. Papers on the desk were swept into the air, as the unnatural wind spread across the entire room. Then the silence was broken, by a noise like no other. The sound itself was at first barely there, a whispering only audible through concentration. But it grew, this mysterious sound, becoming louder as more paper was swept up into the miniature whirlwind. Soon, the groaning sound of an ancient engine, rising and falling, filled the entire room. And just as the mysterious breeze had soon been accompanied by the equally impossible noise, the droning was joined by a hint of a blue object appearing in the corner of the office. The object itself, tall and box-like, had barely exposed itself, before it was gone again. And then, as quickly as it had disappeared, it re-emerged in the same place, yet somehow less transparent. It repeated this procedure, all the while making the groaning sound and sweeping up office utensils around it, a few more times before it became clear that the object was a four sided blue box, with 'POLICE BOX' appearing above it. The TARDIS had arrived.

The doors creaked open and the Doctor stepped out, making sure they had arrived at the correct destination. Clark followed.

"Why here, exactly?" he asked.

"Because knowledge is power, and right now all the knowledge is on the bad guy's side. We know very little." the Doctor said, curiously examining what had managed to stay on the office desk. "From everything you've told me, the earliest known difference between your life and the life of Clark Kent as I know it, is that Lex Luthor was in Smallville on the day of the meteor shower."

"When my ship arrived."

"Exactly. But why? Why did his father bring him to Smallville that day. If we work backwards we might be able to get a better idea of who we're dealing with. Now, lead the way to Lionel Luthor's office"

* * *

Chloe had given up calling Clark's cell phone, she couldn't get through. Even if he had, like the Doctor implied a few hours ago, gone to the Fortress then he still should have been back by now.

She had planned to keep a close eye on the Doctor, using the tracking device she had slipped in his coat in the Kent kitchen. But, as she sat in front on the many monitors in the Isis Foundation, it seemed that plan had fallen on its face, as she couldn't locate the tracking device. The tracking device that could be located anywhere in the world, couldn't be found. The Doctor was, apparently, nowhere.

Until now. Suddenly, the monitor was showing satellite pictures zooming in on a red dot. The Doctor had reappeared. The satellite pictures zoomed in further, showing Chloe Metropolis, then even further, pin-pointing his location.

Luthorcorp.

She wondered if Clark had also reappeared.

* * *

As they walked along the corridor towards the late Lionel Luthor's office, Clark glanced out of the window into darkness.

"It's night." he said. "It was noon when we left the farm. Did we just…"

"Time Travel? Yeah." the Doctor answered. "It's the same day, just a few hours later. Couldn't risk a random Luthorcorp employee of the month getting in the way. Everyone's gone home."

Clark heard his cell phone begin to ring, and saw 'Chloe' on the Caller ID.

"Not a good time." he answered.

"Too bad." Chloe replied on the other line. "This is important."

"Left or right?" the Doctor asked Clark when they came to a turning. Clark nodded to the left.

"Clark is that the Doctor? Are you still with him?" she asked in fear.

"Yes, but this really isn't a good --"

"Clark, please listen, he's dangerous. I did a background check, and he's… I can't even explain what he is. But its not good.

Clark, looked at the Doctor. He didn't know why, but he trusted this man completely.

"We'll talk about this later, I really have to go." he said, hanging up the phone before she argue.

Back in the Isis Foundation, Chloe slammed her phone down. She stared at the red dot on the screen.

Luthorcorp, it was, then.

When they entered the office, the Doctor immediately rushed to the file cabinet in the far corner of the room. Clark, meanwhile, couldn't help but think back to the last time he was here, when the window next to file cabinet had been broken.

"Let's see." said the Doctor, taking out a pair of glasses and putting them on. "1989... Purchases… Here we go. The Ross Creamed Corn Plant. But_ why_? Why did he buy a random plant in the middle of nowhere? No offence." he added to Clark.

"None taken."

The Doctor was too busy to notice, but Clark saw the lights in the room flicker.

"Doesn't make any sense." the Doctor sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Why would Lionel Luthor buy this plant, it doesn't make sense."

"Why bother yourself with such questions?"

Clark and the Doctor looked at each other. Neither one of them had spoken. So where had that voice came from?

"Especially when you will not live long enough to find answers?" said the voice again.

Clark didn't know who the voice belonged to, but he did know that for many years he believed it to be the voice of his father. It was the voice from the Fortress.

"Our Lord and Master graces us with his presence." the Doctor said, stepping away from the file cabinet and searching the room for the source of the voice. "Or, his voice at least."

"Nevertheless, it is still an honour to hear such a thing. You should be grateful to have done so, before your death, Doctor." the voice said.

"You know my name." the Doctor replied. "But I don't know yours. Go on, introduce yourself."

"That would be very unwise. At the moment I have the advantage of being a mystery. What an enemy does not know, it cannot attack."

"Fair enough." the Doctor said, eyes resting on an intercom device on Lionel's desk. He lifted it to his ear. "How about telling me why you've decided to mess around with my friend Clark's life, then?"

"Kal-El is mine, I may do with him as I wish."

The voice was definitely coming from the intercom device, but not exclusively. Looking around the room, he spotted a phone and a radio. It seemed the voice was coming through anything with a speaker.

"Who are you?" Clark demanded.

"As I have said, to answer that question would be pointless, you will not remember it."

The Doctor and Clark shared another look.

"Well, I don't know about you, Clark, but I'd remember the name of someone who's been manipulating me for years."

Clark's hearing picked up a disturbance downstairs. They were not alone.

"He is mine to manipulate to my heart's content."

"Not anymore, I'm afraid." The Doctor was silent for a moment. "Whoever you are, listen to me. I'm giving you a chance. Stop this. Right now. If you need something, I can help. But your interference in Clark Kent's life ends now. Or I'll stop you.

"Or _we'll_ stop you." Clark added.

"Empty threats." said 'Jor-El'. "You do not who I am, my whereabouts, nor have you any understanding of my power." His voice was cool, as though any attack that Clark or the Doctor could make had already been thwarted.

"Well, you can't be that powerful if you're hiding in the North Pole." the Doctor said, striding around the room as he spoke. "It isn't hard to act big when you're not looking at your enemy. Show yourself, coward!"

"How ironic that I am spoken to of cowardice by you, Doctor. A man who, as we speak, is running from the Gate."

The Doctor stopped striding. Before Clark's eyes, all the defiant arrogance disappeared.

"What did you say?" he said, and Clark did not miss the hint of fear in his voice.

* * *

Downstairs, Chloe had broken into Luthorcorp. Well, she figured, it was hardly the first time. According to the tracker, the Doctor and Clark were above her. She ran to the elevator and pushed the button, but looking up she saw the light stating which floor it was currently on had gone out. Slightly confused, she ran to the door of the stairway.

She opened the door, and screamed at what was facing her.

* * *

"I have done nothing but brought about your demise slightly earlier than it should have been." said the voice.

They heard a crash from the corridor. Clark looked through the wall, the door from the stairs had been torn from its hinges. At least two dozen figures were marching down the corridor and towards them. He saw only outlines of arms and legs, there was no skeletons. These were not people.

"Kill the Doctor." said the voice, and this time it was so loud that Clark was convinced it was speaking to the things marching towards them. "Bring Kal-El to the Fortress, alive."

The was an audio crack, and the voice didn't speak again. Clark could hear footsteps, getting closer. He looked to the Doctor, who seemed a million miles away.

"Doctor?" Clark said.

The Doctor didn't answer or give any sign he had even heard Clark. But he did react when the door to the office was smashed to pieces. Clark looked at the army before him, and made sure the Doctor was shielded behind him.

They were made of crystals, like those found in the Fortress. Except these were not as elegant; they were jagged and rough. It was as though they had been ripped from the floor, and pieced together to form legs, arms and a spine. But at the top of that, there was no head, nor face.

At least ten entered the room, brandishing their blade-like limbs. Clark could tell the rest were just outside the door ready to step up in the unlikely event that any should fall.

They were surrounded.

* * *

**I had to get a 'Gate' reference in before tomorrow's episode. :D**

**Happy Holidays. Whichever one you choose to celebrate.**


	11. Chapter 11

It's been too long since I updated, and I know that. The main reason is because the action sequences in this chapter were a lot harder to write than I thought they'd be. Seriously, they were exhausting. Plus, its been a crazy month or two in the _Doctor Who_ world. The Tenth Doctor died, and the Eleventh was born. So that (specifically, watching the new series preview about 8 times a day) has kept me a bit distracted.

Oh, and remember those two scenarios I laid out before Chapter 7? Yeah, like anything _other _than Scenario 2 was ever going to happen. In fairness, I also said in the same paragraph that this story should be between _The Waters of Mars_ and _The End of Time_, when actually its between _Planet of the Dead_ and _The Waters of Mars_. So you can't trust anything I wrote in that chapter.

Here's Chapter 10, if anyone's still reading after such a long absence.

****

* * *

Chapter 10:

**Hairdryers, Elevator Cables, and Parking Violations**

The crystal soldiers made the first move. The one closest to Clark lunged at him with its blades, but Clark blocked it with his forearm and struck back, hitting the crystal spine of the soldier and sending it soaring across the room, where it collided with the wall and slumped to the floor. In seconds, it was back on its feet.

Another one stepped forward, taking a run at Clark and bringing its blade down towards his face in a slashing motion. Clark ducked low, and used the soldier's momentum to flip it over his back. It flew straight into the window pane behind him, which shattered instantly and left the creature to fall with the glass to the street below.

Clark looked towards the rest of them, silently asking which one was next. The soldiers evidently realised that one-on-one would be too fair a fight, as multiple soldiers stepped forward this time.

In no time at all, crystal blades were flying at Clark from all angles. He ducked and blocked, striking back whenever the opportunity presented itself. He would hit the creatures full force, but they were back on the attack almost instantly.

He grabbed a blade mid-strike, inches from his face, but the soldier was still trying to force it towards him. Given how ineffective his strikes had been, he supposed that it would be deathly vital that that blade didn't touch him. Unfortunately, he still had to hit as many soldiers as he could with his other arm, and the blade was getting closer.

Just as it was about to meet his face, a familiar buzzing noise filled the room, and he felt something tugging him backwards by his jacket. A second later, the air conditioning unit above the door fell from the ceiling and onto the group of soldier's Clark had been battling with. More importantly, it had fell in front of the doorway, blocking entry to the rest of the army.

"Sorry, Clark." said the Doctor, putting his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket. "Got a bit distracted for a minute there. Anyway, what do you say to redecorating this office a little bit? Starting with that wall."

Just as he had done on Ben Hubbard's farm, Clark crashed through the wall of Lionel Luthor's office, and into the one next to it. A quick X-ray told him the soldiers were still trying get through the air conditioner, unaware that Clark and the Doctor were no longer inside.

"There's too many." Clark said. "I can't fight them."

"Yeah, I think its time for us to leave. The TARDIS is two floors below us."

Clark crashed into three other offices, putting distance between them and the army, before they exited the last one through the door and into the hallway. Clark kept an eye on the soldiers down the hall, still unaware of their escape, while the Doctor ran for the stairwell.

But when the Doctor opened the stairwell door, he was greeted with the sight of another battalion of crystal soldiers marching up them.

"Okay, so the stairs are out." he said, slamming the door closed again. He used his sonic to lock the door, and was surprised when Clark used his heat vision to set the door ablaze, making the soldier's task of breaking through it a bit more difficult. "Nice touch."

"Thanks." Clark said.

"Lift?" he asked.

"What?" Clark replied.

"Oh, sorry, elevator. Blimey! America; its like a different planet."

They ran down the hallway until they reached the silver doors of the elevator, Clark pushed the button, but the Doctor pushed him out the way, and aimed his sonic at the panel.

"That can't possibly be making the elevator get here faster?" Clark said in disbelief.

"Like I said," the Doctor replied, his eyes fixed on the panel he was sonicing. "the real questions is what can't it do?"

There was a crash from the other end of the long corridor. The soldiers had finally entered Lionel's office and found it empty. And now Clark could see them making their way down the hallway. "Doctor…"

"Mind you," the Doctor said. "for an amazing, all-purpose device, it has a terrible habit of faltering when its around hairdryers. And for the life of me I can't figure out why."

"Doctor they've found us."

The Doctor looked up. "Who have?"

"_Who do you think?!_"

The Doctor turned to the other end of the corridor, to see the army quickly coming towards them. "When did they learn to run?!"

A 'ding' signalled their salvation; the lift had arrived. They entered, and the Doctor used his sonic to ensure the doors closed as quick as possible. Clark pressed the button for two floors down.

"Well, that was fun." The Doctor said.

"Why do I get the feeling you do this sort of thing all the time?" said Clark.

The lift jerked violently before the Doctor could reply, and then stopped altogether. But they had barely even gone down a floor. There was silence for a few seconds, and then a horrible sound could be heard from outside the car. A high scratching noise. They looked at one another, and then at the ceiling of the elevator.

Clark used his X-ray vision to see what he already knew.

"Doctor… they… um…"

"They're cutting the cable, aren't they?"

"Yes. Yes, they are."

For a second, they didn't move, as if in delayed shock. They just looked at each other.

And then they both lunged for the doors, the Doctor colliding with Clark's huge shoulders and being knocked back. The cutting sound was growing louder.

"Clark, out the way!" the Doctor cried, trying to get to the doors of the car.

"What? Why?"

"I'm gonna use the sonic screwdriver to activate the emergency opening mechanism, but I won't have time unless you get out of the way right now!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Clark asked.

The Doctor's eyes were a mixture of urgency and disbelief. "Well, we are about to plunge to our deaths; so I guess trying to, y'know, save our lives and everything is keeping me busy at the minute! But go on, Clark, you tell me what's so important that I can't activate the emergency opening mechanism and save our lives. What am I forgetting?!"

Until he met the Doctor, Clark would never have believed he would grin at a time like this. But he did. He grinned, and pushed the huge steel doors open in one motion.

"Super strength." he said.

The Doctor looked at the doors, and then at Clark, and broke out into a huge smile of his own.

Since the lift hadn't fully descended when it had been stopped, they had to jump a short distance from the elevator car to hallway floor. Seconds after they hit the ground, there was a loud snap as the cable of the car was finally cut, a few seconds of silence, and then the ground beneath them shook, and a boom echoed all the way up the elevator shaft.

"Right," the Doctor said, wiping some debris off of his coat. "stairs are out and I've got a strange feeling we might be waiting a while for the lift. We need to get to the floor below us. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Clark grinned again. "Stand well back."

When the Doctor had retreated to a safe distance, Clark jumped into the air. He didn't jump particularly high, but he brought his knees right up, and then slammed his feet down as hard as he could. A circle of flooring around him gave way, and he fell into his own hole.

When the Doctor jumped down after him, Clark caught him in his arms.

"Strange." said the Doctor. "I'm usually on the other side of this."

Now on the right floor, they entered the office that they had arrived in, and the Doctor ran straight to the TARDIS; digging out his key and unlocking the door. Clark followed, but stopped in his tracks. His hearing picked up muffled screaming.

"Doctor." he said, using his X-ray vision to look up through the ceiling. "I don't think everyone had gone home."

"What?"

"They've got someone." Clark answered, looking back at him.

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked. He didn't want to risk Clark's life for nothing.

"Positive." Clark listened a little closer, and his blood ran cold when he recognised the muffling. "It's Chloe."

"That girl again! Everywhere she shouldn't be!" the Doctor said. He had to save her, of course, suspicious or not. But before he could begin planning her rescue, another thought struck him. "Why haven't they killed her?"

"I don't know." Clark answered impatiently. They needed to act quick.

But the Doctor remained where he was. "They should have killed her. She's nothing, she's an interference. They _really_ should have killed her."

"Don't sound so disappointed!" Clark snapped. "We're wasting time! We need to save her, and fast."

That seemed to snap the Doctor out of it, as he looked back at Clark. "Okay. Here's the plan…"

Chloe kicked out as hard as she could, but only received a throbbing foot for her efforts. She tried screaming for Clark, but the thing's arm, if you could call a long piece of crystal an arm, was covering her mouth.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet shook and, just a few feet away from her, Clark exploded out of the floor.

Immediately, she was tossed aside, as the entire army launched an attack on Clark.

And as Chloe watched Clark fight for his life, she gradually became aware of a breeze entering the hall from nowhere, and a grinding noise. Cautiously, she looked behind her.

A blue box had appeared. The doors opened, and there stood the Doctor, holding out his hand.

Later, she would wonder, after everything she had found out about this man, why she took his hand.

He helped her up and into the box, leaving her to freak out at its bigger-on-the-insideness on her own.

"Clark." he called, and when Clark looked up from his battle, "I've got her."

With one last elbow to the nearest soldier, Clark sped down the hall, past the Doctor, and into the TARDIS.

It took a second for the army to realise what had happened. But when they did, they broke out into a run, advancing towards the blue box.

The Doctor stepped back into the doorway of the TARDIS and grinned. "Sorry, we're full up. I'm sure there'll be another one along in a few minutes." And he slammed the doors closed.

* * *

Lois really wanted another cup of coffee. Clark had not shown up for work again, meaning she had been forced to get up and get her own refreshments all morning. If nothing else, it had had forced her to realise how much of the stuff she actually drank, and that she should probably cut back.

Again, she found her eyes being drawn to the desk across from her. If he was here, he probably would have replied that there was more chance of being struck by lightning than her cutting back on coffee. She had given up scolding herself for thinking about him, it was too hard not to.

Which provided the second realisation of the day. She couldn't go back. She couldn't go back to seeing him as her cousin's annoying friend anymore. There was something there. What it was she wasn't quite sure. But it wasn't going away. As a result, she was in for a pretty rough time. Because Clark was destined for Lana, not her. Their on/off nature which resulted in Clark's current state of vulnerability was the only reason that they had kissed in the first place.

This might be a new low for her, actually. She had not only fallen for a guy that was completely unavailable, but he just happened to be her best friend. Nice going, Lo!

Her self-loathing was cut short by probably the last person she expected to see this morning.

"Oh," said Lana, standing next to Clark's empty desk. "Did Clark go out for lunch?"

"Lana." She said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Actually, Smallville hasn't even shown up today." She desperately tried to keep any dislike out of her voice. Because she didn't dislike Lana, she really didn't. In fact, in their one longer-than-five-minutes conversation, back when she was dating Lex, she got the feeling that they might even be friends one day.

"That's weird." Lana frowned. "He wasn't back at the Farm."

Lois sat up in her chair slightly. "Have you tried his cell?" she asked, trying to mask her growing worry. Why hadn't she realised that it was so unlike Clark to miss two days of work, regardless of any awkwardness between them.

"Yeah, no answer. I figured he just had it off while he was at work."

A silence fell between them, while both tried to convince themselves that Clark was probably fine. And then, it became a somewhat awkward silence.

"Well, I'll wait for him back at the Farm." Lana said, and with a smile, turned to leave.

But just as Lois turned back to work, Lana sat down in Clark's chair across from her.

"Actually, do you mind if I stay here for a while? There's this guy at the Farm, kind of uncomfortable."

"Well, you can stay," Lois answered. "But if someone you don't know is staying at your farm I'm pretty sure you can call the police."

Lana laughed. "No, he's a friend of Clark's. Sort of. Anyway, he's spent most of the morning eating toast and muttering to himself."

Lois furrowed her brow. "Who is he?"

"I didn't get his name, he just said he was a doctor."

Lois stared at her for a second. "Wait a minute. _The_ Doctor? Tall, blue suit, spiky hair?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"He was here yesterday, asking for weather patterns or something, and then he blew up my computer." she said, nodding to the blackened monitor that had been shoved into a too small trash can. "He said he worked here, but I asked around, and no one's even heard of him. I assumed he was just a nutcase who'd stumbled into the office. But then he showed up again, this time with Clark."

"He's been staying with us for the last couple of days." Lana said. "I thought he was a little… eccentric, but not crazy."

Lois wasn't listening, too busy connecting dots. "Oh my God. Lana, what if this psycho's gone nuts and done something with Clark?"

Lana took a deep breath, the way she always did before having to protect Clark's secret. "Oh. I don't think so. I mean, Clark's kind of a big guy, and the Doctor… isn't. I don't think he'd pick a fight with him."

"Anywhere else in the world, you'd be right. But we live in Smallville. The Meteor Freak Capital of the World. How do we know this guy doesn't have superhuman strength, or can shoot fire from his eyes?"

Well, then, they'd be evenly matched, Lana thought. But Lois did have a point, this _was_ Smallville. And if Clark hadn't made it into work today… then where was he?

Lois saw the worry grow in Lana's features, which only increased her own. "We need to find him." she said, standing up and putting on her jacket.

"Wait, Lois, we don't know he's missing yet. Maybe he's with Chloe."

Lois stopped for a second, then said, "You're right. So let's go see."

* * *

"Chloe?" Lana called, pushing the door to the Isis Foundation open. Lois followed.

"Cuz?" she said when Lana received no answer. "She's not answering her cell, she's not here. I'm starting to get a little freaked out."

"Yeah, me too." Lana said.

Falling back into an old habit, Lana walked into the next room and towards the computer centre. It was then that she realised that this was Chloe's den now, not hers. But as she turned to leave, her eyes caught sight of something displayed on the computer screens.

A face, and a familiar one.

"Lois." she said.

Lois ran into the next room and saw what Lana was looking at. "That's him!"

They stepped closer to get a better look. The photos were not the best quality, they were mostly taken from a distance, and often he was merely a speck in a crowd. But, unmistakably, it was the Doctor. And the articles that accompanied the pictures were not good. Death, destruction and chaos.

"Chloe must have checked up on Clark's new friend." Lois said.

Lana doubted Chloe would just leave the Hi-Tech equipment out in the open, which suggested she left in a hurry. "Lois, you don't think she went after him by herself, do you?"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure she did, look at this." Lois was staring at the monitor that displayed the tracking device's location. "Chloe always bugs someone before she goes digging into their past, so she can find them straight away once she's done. That must be where the Doctor is, Luthorcorp."

"And Chloe too." Lana said in fear.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Clark asked Chloe.

He received a nod, but Chloe looked far from okay. Not so much because she had been attacked by an army of crystal soldiers, but more because the enormous room she was standing in should not have been able to fit into the small blue box she had entered.

"Yeah." Clark said. "It freaked me out too."

"That's a bit of an understatement." said the Doctor, as he walked around the TARDIS console, taking them away from Luthorcorp.

"What is this thing?" she asked.

"It's a space ship." Clark said. "And this is the Doctor. But you know that already."

That brought her back down to earth, and she remembered her reason for going to Luthorcorp in the first place. "Oh, I know who he is alright, and its not one the good guys. I ran a background check on him. 'The Doctor' has had adventures with a bigger death toll than World War One and Two put together. And, apparently, ones that happened around the same time!"

"Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey." the Doctor replied without looking at her, instead continuing to attend to the TARDIS's controls.

"Chloe, I know how that must look, but he's on our side." Clark tried to convince her.

"On our side?! Clark, he has 3006 outstanding convictions the world over!"

"Yeah, but in fairness, most of those are for unpaid parking tickets and library fines." the Doctor clarified.

"Oh," Chloe said, remembering something else. "and when he said that you had gone 'north', tell me he didn't mean what I think he meant. And tell me he doesn't know what I think he knows."

Clark avoided her eyes.

"_Clark! Are you out of your mind? _You've known this guy a day and you tell him your secret?!"

"I didn't tell him, he already knew! He's a time-traveller, Chloe. This is a time machine."

Chloe laughed in exasperation. "Right, as if it being bigger on the inside wasn't enough, it's a time machine, too?"

"Apparently," Clark began, saying words that he still didn't quite believe himself. "sometime in the future, my secret becomes common knowledge."

"But its all gone wrong." the Doctor said, still with his back to them. "Someone's messing with history."

"We think that someone has travelled back in time to disrupt my timeline, and change how my life pans out." Clark told her.

Chloe put her hands to her temple, attempting to take it all in. A stranger she was sure was dangerous (and who knew Clark's secret), soldiers made out of crystals, time travel, and box that was bigger on the inside than out.

"Okay," she said. "I'm guessing the only reason you think you're timeline is being disrupted is because he told you so?" Clark nodded. "Clark, why do you believe him?! All the evidence points to him being dangerous. I know you always look for the good in people, but why can't you even admit the possibility that he's a psycho?!"

"Don't you just love when people talk about you like you're not standing next to them?" the Doctor muttered.

"I can't explain why." Clark said. "All I know is, I trust him. And I need that right now, because someone I trusted for a long time was manipulating me."

Chloe was lost again.

"It was never Jor-El, Chloe. In the Fortress. I was never speaking to my father."

Chloe put her head in her hands again. "Okay, this is insane!"

"Look, it's a long and complicated story that I'll explain later, when its all over. But right now, you're going home."

Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but the Doctor got there first.

"No, she's not."

They both turned towards the Time Lord, who was still busy switching switches and pulling levers on the TARDIS console.

"What?" Clark said. "Doctor, you can't be serious. Its too dangerous. You saw those things, _you_ barely got out of there alive!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Clark." he replied, finally turning to them. "But those things saw her leave with us. And to me that looked like a military operation. Which means the good little soldiers will report back to their superior. If we send Chloe home she'll be dead before morning. She stays with us."

Clark tried to find a flaw in his logic, anything that would keep Chloe out of harm's way, but he couldn't.

Meanwhile, Chloe looked at the Doctor, and was shocked to see how he was looking back. There was no glare, no piercing gaze of hostility. All the coldness in his eyes had disappeared. And unless her own eyes were playing tricks on her, the corner of his mouth had risen ever so slightly.

Was that tiny smile an apology?

"Doctor," Clark said suddenly, something just dawning on him. "if they know we're onto them, and they can't get at Chloe, what's to stop them going after the other people in my life?!"

The Doctor immediately switched his gaze to Clark, returning his look of panic. Because they both knew who he was talking about.

"Lana and Lois!"

* * *

Lois's heart fell the moment they reached the Luthorcorp entrance. Shattered glass, smoke coming from the floors above; it looked like a war zone.

The two women shared a fear-filled glance, and quickly ran inside. There was still a chance Chloe might not be hurt.

Lana ran to the elevators, only to stop halfway when she saw that the doors had been blown off. It looked like the cable had snapped and the car had fallen to ground floor.

"We have no idea what floor they're on." Lana said. Even if they did, by the time they made it up the stairs, it might be too late.

"Then we'll check every one of them." Lois said defiantly. "If we split up we can cover more - Lana, look out!"

Too late, the crystal soldier had snaked its arm around Lana's neck and was already squeezing. Lois started to run towards her, but a crystal beam came out of nowhere and collided with her head, knocking her unconscious.

"Lois." Lana spluttered. But lack of oxygen meant she too was starting to pass out.

A voice echoed from somewhere in the lobby.

"Do not kill them! They will be of use."

Suddenly, the pressure on her throat was lifted. She coughed, and took a deep breath of air into her lungs. She looked up to see a crystal arm flying towards her, and then there was darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter gave me so much trouble, its not even funny. For some reason, it was even harder to write than the action sequences in the last chapter. I re-wrote it, and re-wrote it, but it never came out the way I wanted it to. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I want to get on with the story.**

**Although, in saying that, I'm afraid it might be even longer before the next update. In the next few weeks, I have a few University writing assignments to hand in. Proper writing assignments, which sadly means fanfiction has to take a back seat. Priorities and all that.**

**Ah, well, you'll have Matt Smith's first series as the Doctor, and what should be an awesome end to Smallville's 9th season to watch.**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

**A Military Operation**

The Doctor threw the Kent's door open, giving the kitchen a quick once-over before moving into the living room.

Chloe entered the kitchen after him, her cell phone to her ear. She could hear the Doctor calling Lana's name, but receiving no answer.

He re-entered the kitchen. "Anything?" he asked her.

"She's not picking up."

"Try Lois." he said, running upstairs. She could hear him above her, checking every room. She closed her eyes when all she got was Lois' voicemail.

Just as the Doctor was coming down the stairs, there was a gust of wind, and Clark appeared.

"I checked _the Planet_, and her apartment, I can't find Lois anywhere. Lana?"

The Doctor shook his head.

Chloe looked between the two. "So where are they?" she asked. They both avoided her gaze. "Clark? Where are they?!"

"The Fortress." the Doctor replied.

Chloe put a hand to her temple. Worry over her cousin and her friend's safety was clashing with the frustration of being in the dark about the entire situation. "Okay, someone needs to explain what the hell is going on."

The Doctor sighed impatiently. "In the future, Clark Kent causes big problems for some bad people." he said. "We think that one of these bad people has decided to travel back in time and tamper with his personal history, hiding in the Fortress and disguised as Jor-El. But this person is now aware that Clark is on to them and therefore, it's a pretty safe bet than Lana and Lois have been abducted and taken to the Fortress to be used as hostages."

Chloe stared at him; did he think that explanation would calm her?

"If he's hurt them…" Clark said, anger radiating from him.

"No." the Doctor shook his head. "If he wanted to do that, he would've killed them and left their bodies for us to find. No. This gives him back the advantage."

"I'm sick of him treating my life like a game, I'm going to tear the Fortress down and get Lois and Lana back." Clark started striding towards the door, but the Doctor stopped him

"Clark!" he groaned. "Come on, that's exactly what he wants! Remember in Luthorcorp? He told the soldiers to bring you to the Fortress; alive. My guess is, with me dead, he could have just wiped your memory of me ever having been here, and carried on with his manipulation. He's using Lana and Lois as bait, to bring you to him."

"So what am I supposed to do? Leave them up there with that maniac?"

"I'm not saying that."

"Then what do I do?"

"I don't know!" the Doctor yelled.

Being as clever as he was, it was usually a thrill to be in a situation where he didn't have all the answers. But this was the life of Clark Kent, and if he made even the slightest mistake…

"He, whoever 'he' is, holds all the cards." he said. "We go to the Fortress, who knows what kind of trap he's got. The whole place is probably swimming with soldiers. We don't go to the Fortress, and who knows what he'll do to Lana and Lois."

"What if I don't go after whoever's behind this?" Clark offered. "Those soldiers might be as strong as I am, but they don't have my speed. I could just run in, save them, and run back."

The Doctor sighed and closed his eyes in frustration. "Don't you think he'll have thought of that? You saw how he sent those soldiers after us, he's probably got a whole attack plan laid out for…" His eyes snapped open. "Soldiers." he said, staring at Clark, who stared back in confusion. "Soldiers. He's got soldiers. And an understanding of time travel. And enough knowledge about Kryptonian heritage to build a Fortress and masquerade as your father. Oh, I am an idiot!"

Clark and Chloe could only watch on with worried gazes, as he grabbed at his hair like he was trying to pull it out.

The Doctor laughed bitterly. "Oh, I said it was a military operation, didn't I? I said the good little soldiers would report to their superior. But not just their superior. Their General."

* * *

The wind from nowhere faded away. The TARDIS doors opened, and the Doctor stepped out, alone. He strode over to the centre of Lionel Luthor's office.

"We need to talk." he said.

The lights began to flicker, an electric blue glow filled the room, the hair on the Doctor's arm and neck stood on end. When the light died away, there was a man standing behind Lionel's desk.

His symbol was etched on the chest of his long white robes. He smirked from under his black beard.

"Doctor." he greeted.

"Zod." the Doctor replied.

General Zod placed his hands behind his back. "Do you believe in fate, Doctor?" he asked.

"No."

"I doubted you would." Zod said. "If you did… well, the future wouldn't be looking too bright, would it?" He smirked again; and while the Doctor felt a pang of fear, he refused to let it show.

"I believe in fate." Zod went on, walking around Lionel's desk and into the centre of the room with the Doctor. "I almost lost my mind, suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of the House of El's sole surviving member. And then I realised, while I was superior in every single way, I was not meant to win on those occasions. The defeats where through no fault of my own. It was fate."

"How convenient." the Doctor mused.

Zod smiled again, continuing as if the Doctor hadn't spoken. "Fate forced me to fail time and time again against Kal-El, so that it would give me the drive and determination to devise a plan that, quite simply, couldn't fail."

"Plans that can't fail," the Doctor said. "I've come across quite a few of those in my time. They always disappoint in the end."

"Not this one. Destiny is on my side, Doctor. If I ever doubted it before, your very presence is living proof."

"What does that mean?"

"You were the inspiration! It is impossible to travel the stars and not hear the legends of the Doctor! The Last of the Time Lords! Travelling the universe in his TARDIS, shaping it into what he believes it should be."

The Doctor blinked, caught off guard by the statement. "How very inaccurate."

"I disagree. Speak all you want of helping those in need, of righting wrongs. But you have brought down entire empires, Doctor. Ended thousand year long reigns. Chosen who is right and who is wrong, and took their lives into your hands. You travel time and make sure it plays out in a way that satisfies you. I have done the same."

The Doctor stepped closer to Zod. "Do you realise the danger of what you've done?" he growled. "You hear some fairy tales about me, and fancy yourself as a time traveller. Clark Kent is a fixed point in history, you could have-"

"Please, Doctor, do not use his Earth name." Zod interrupted. "And I knew very well the dangers of changing his history. I knew the rules, I was careful. Kryptonians had experimented with Time Travel. Kal-El's father was actually a pioneer in the field."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I would say that's ironic, but I suppose you'd say it was fate."

Zod merely grinned again, and went on. "As I was saying, I was careful. Though, I must admit, the thought of finding him as a child and slicing his throat was a very tempting one. As was the chance to eliminate the Kents and raise the child as my own. But, I thought that might be too much of a deviation. I struggled for a while. Knowing that changing the right thing could ensure I would never fall at his feat again, but that changing the wrong thing could mean cause a tear in time itself. And then it struck me."

"Lex." the Doctor said.

Zod nodded. "Destined to fall into darkness. I ensured that they met as adolescents; the theory being that if he should befriend Kal-El, then when that moment inevitably came, Kal-El might join him in his descent. He's so loyal." Zod grinned sardonically, then sighed. "Alas, it was not meant to be. But, as I'm sure you've heard, General Zod is famous for his uncanny ability to anticipate failure and prepare for it."

"The Fortress was a backup plan?" asked the Doctor.

"A rather brilliant one, if I may say so myself. Again, my original aims were quite different. He was raised by the Kents, established fact. Changing that would be too dangerous. I had to work around it. In the place of Jor-El I could impart my beliefs on him, mould him into becoming who I wanted him to become. I was his father, his only link to his true home."

"Genius." the Doctor said, truthfully

Zod looked at him, taken aback by his sincerity. "Thank you." he said, genuinely. "But, once more, fate had other ideas. He did not accept my guidance. Youth on this planet, apparently, have a problem with authority."

"So I've heard." the Doctor said.

"It could have been devastating. The contingency plan had failed. A lesser General would have surrendered." Zod met the Doctor's eyes, dropped his pompous tone, and let a malevolent grin crawl across his face. "But this, Doctor, was when fate was truly on my side. Because not only did Kal-El disapprove of his father's advice, he hated the fact that he was even connected to this man. He despised his heritage, that he was different from his precious humans. So much so, that he was ashamed to use his abilities, he saw them as a constant reminder of where he came from. Even when saving lives, he was ashamed. I ask you, Doctor, does that sound anything like a Superman?"

Zod started to laugh. A sadistic, victorious laugh. The Doctor stared at him in disgust.

"I won't be immodest." Zod said. "There were a few… unforeseen events. Mutants, witches, surprisingly still alive relations, and an unscheduled appearance by myself, to name but a few. And of course there was…"

He trailed off, and surveyed the Doctor, who showed no need for the end of that sentence.

"You know, don't you?" Zod smiled. The Doctor didn't answer. "I suppose you knew the moment you laid eyes upon her. Time Lord always did. Too much time spent around the untempered schism, I think."

"I don't understand it." the Doctor admitted.

"There's a first. It's quite simple, really. I needed Lex Luthor in Smallville. Luthorcorp was planning on buying a local plant. But the proposed Plant Manager turned down the job when his wife and child were killed in an accident. The company spent years looking for a replacement, and eventually dropped the project all together. I had to make sure that accident never happened. Ergo, the child and her mother survived."

The Doctor was silent, connecting all the pieces, but Zod was watching him closely, and with amusement.

"You could stop me." he said, bringing the Doctor's focus back to him. "Travel back to the moment of the accident, and stop me from changing anything."

"No, I couldn't." the Doctor said. "Not now. There's a life involved."

"But her very existence means that millions of people, who Kal-El would have saved, will die in years to come!"

"Clark will still save those people, he can still become Superman!" the Doctor shot back.

"No he can't, and you know it!" Zod growled. The Doctor's eyes were ablaze, but he didn't reply. Because he couldn't.

"Chloe Sullivan's life means the death of the Man of Steel." Zod said. "Even if it could save millions, you won't take one life?"

"Never."

Zod sighed, almost in disappointment. "I have nothing but respect for you, Doctor. I've heard the stories, about how you would give enemies a chance to surrender before you destroyed them. I give you the same chance now. Go back to your TARDIS, and leave. Superman is dead, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

The Doctor bit his lip. "That does sound tempting."

"Then do it!" Zod said.

"I probably should." he said, putting his hands in his pockets and beginning to stride about the room. "'Cos clearly, I'm no match for you. I mean, you are just a genius."

"Thank you." Zod nodded again.

"No, really, I mean it. To come up with this, that is a fearsome level of intelligence."

Zod smirked.

"You're far too clever for me. Although, I do have one question." He stopped striding and faced Zod.

"Anything." Zod said.

"If you are so clever, why, exactly, when your enemy is a man who can shoot fire from his eyes, did you make your base of operations… an ice fortress?"

Zod stopped smirking.

He looked around the room, as if realising for the first time that Clark wasn't there.

He looked at the Doctor, who was still staring at him with mock curiosity.

"No." he said, and ran back around Lionel's desk.

The Doctor resisted the urge to smirk until the electric blue light had filled the room again, and Zod was gone.

* * *

The floor shook, as the great beams of ice began to break away and come crashing down. The crystal soldiers jerked and flailed on the floor, their power source burning around them.

Clark made sure there wasn't a single part of the Fortress he could see that was not on fire.

He was forcing himself to keep a cool head; but it was hard when he was standing in the very place where he'd been lied to, and manipulated, on so many occasions.

He found himself in front of the console, where he'd inserted the crystal that took him back in time and caused the death of his father. In a burst of rage, he struck it with all his might, and watched it explode into a thousand pieces.

Regaining his composure, he decided he'd done enough. He bent down and carefully placed both Lois and Lana's unconscious bodies on each of his shoulders, and began to walk away.

He stopped when an electric blue started to fight against the flickering reds and oranges of the flames.

He turned around, and on the other side of the burning Fortress, saw Zod.

The inferno around him was nothing compared to the way he was looking at Clark.

Clark ignored the urge to run straight to him and strike him as hard as he had done the console. The safety of Lois and Lana was his priority.

He met Zod's eyes, shot one last burst of heat vision at everything in front of him, and sped away.

As the Fortress began to collapse, Zod roared with rage.

* * *

**In case you didn't notice, it was the Zod/Doctor conversation that gave me so much trouble. I just couldn't get it to stop sounding like your typical "Muhahaha, I'm the villan of the story and this is my evil plan." But, really, that's exactly what it is.**

**Anyway, if you're wondering, the Zod I'm picturing is a mix of Terence Stamp's incarnation from Superman 2, and Callum Blue's awesome portrayal from Smallville Season 9.**


	13. Chapter 13

**And I'm back! Wow, it's been a long time since I updated! Sorry about that. After my Uni work was done and delivered, I had a hard time writing this chapter. And I know I've said that about the last three chapters, but this one was really bad. I just couldn't get it to work. So I put it off and put it off, and months passed by. I ended up writing an 11th Doctor story to try and clear my head ('The Cave', which can be found in my profile). And then, one day, I suddenly decided to approach the chapter in a completely different way, and everything worked out fine. There was originally a LOT more of this chapter, that I either did away with or will appear in the next one. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I thought I'd post it since it had been so long since an update.**

**Anyway, we're very near the end now. There's only one chapter left, or maybe two depending on how long it is. **

**P.S. To anyone who was worried about Matt Smith as the Doctor, IN YOUR FACE! TOLD YOU HE WOULD BE AWESOME!**

**Ahem, sorry about that. But, come on, he is awesome, right? Anyway...**

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

**An Uncanny Ability**

Clark closed the door to his old bedroom behind him, and stepped out into the hallway. As he had the added benefit of super-speed, he'd arrived back at the Farm from the Fortress before the Doctor. So, with Chloe's help, he had placed an unconscious Lana in the master bedroom; the room that had belonged to his parents but that he had since moved in to; and an equally unconscious Lois in his old bedroom. Although, it had also on occasion been Lois's bedroom, when she would stay with the Kents and he would be relegated to couch.

And despite his worry about her condition, he couldn't help but smile slightly. The nights he'd spent on that couch and cursed Lois Lane. If you would have told him, back then, how he felt about her now…

When the Doctor had arrived back at the Farm, he was oddly quiet. Considering their plan to save Lois and Lana had gone perfectly, Clark had expected the Doctor to be smiling that smile of his. However, he had simply gone straight upstairs to check on Lana, and having given her a clean bill of health, was now examining Lois. Clark wondered what had been said during his conversation with Zod.

At the thought of the name, he clenched his fists in anger. When the Doctor suddenly concluded that Zod was behind this whole mess, Clark hadn't quite believed him. But lives were hanging in the balance, and the Doctor had been right about everything else. So Clark went along with his plan to head to the Fortress while the Doctor went to cause a distraction. And it was there that he was presented with undeniable proof. He had seen him. In the flames, and the wreckage; General Zod. Clark was just thankful they had managed stop him before anymore damage could be caused. With the Fortress destroyed, all that was left was Clark to find Zod and bring him to justice.

He sighed, looking across the hallway at the door to the master bedroom. He wouldn't leave until he was sure they were both alright.

When he entered the room, he was surprised to find Lana not lying unconscious in the bed, but standing at the window.

"Lana." he said. "You're up."

"Yeah." she said, turning to face him. "I came round just a few minutes ago."

"Are you ok?" he asked, walking over to her and scanning her head for any noticeable bruises.

"I'm fine. But the last thing I remember is being at Luthorcorp with Lois...?"

"You were attacked. Somebody took you as hostages to get my attention, I'm sorry."

Lana shook her head slightly. "It's not your fault, Clark." she said, knowing he would blame himself anyway. "Lois, is she…"

Clark glanced back into the hallway, at his old bedroom door. "She's safe, but she hasn't woken up yet. The Doctor's checking on her now."

Suddenly, Lana remembered what she and Lois had been doing at Luthorcorp. "Clark! The Doctor, we think he's dangerous, he's not who he says he is!"

"Actually, he is. That's the problem." Seeing that she still looked worried, he added, "It's a long story, Lana. One that I'm not even sure I understand yet. But he's on our side. He helped me save you and Lois."

"But he's…"

"Lana, trust me. He's here to help."

She could have argued further, but if Clark trusted him then there was nothing she could say to change his mind. So, she simply nodded.

"You're sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?"

Clark frowned. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I'm sure you're worried about Lois."

He frowned again. "I was worried about both of you."

"Yeah, but you and Lois are…" she trailed off.

He finally saw was she was getting at, words escaped him. Lana smiled when she saw him blushing slightly.

"Clark," she started. "when I came back, I wasn't expecting to come back to… us. I know, by leaving the way I did, we couldn't go back to the way we were. So I moved on". She smiled again. "And obviously, so did you."

"Lana, me and Lois, we're not…I mean we did… but we're not officially… It's complicated." he said, with hint of sadness.

"Ok." she said, putting him out of his misery. "But, I just want you to know, if it makes it any less complicated, I'm not standing in your way."

It seemed like all the tension between them since Lana had came back suddenly disappeared, and Clark found himself smiling at for her the first time in months."Thank you. That means a lot." He gave her a guilty look, and added,

"And I'm sorry for the way I've been acting since you got back. I didn't know how to act around you, anymore. But, I don't want to lose you from my life. We've been through too much."

"I don't want to leave your life either, Clark."

"Friends?"

"Friends." she said, and allowed him to pull her towards him in a hug.

* * *

He left Lana to get some rest and returned to his old room.

When he entered, the Doctor was removing his stethoscope from Lois's chest.

"She'll have a hell of a headache." he said. "But she'll be fine."

Clark let out a small sigh of relief, and moved closer to the bed.

"How's Lana?" the Doctor asked.

"Good. She's awake."

The Doctor nodded. "Lois should do the same soon."

For a second, they both turned their attention to brunette in bed in front of them.

"You're sure she's okay?" he asked.

The Doctor smirked. "She's Lois Lane. It'll take a lot more than a knock on the head to take her down."

Clark smiled, and looked back at her.

The time had come, he decided. It didn't matter if he was scared of what the answer would be, he had to know.

"I shouldn't feel this way about her, should I?"

The Doctor, who had decided to give Clark some privacy and had been halfway out the door, stopped.

"I've already told you not to ask me things like that. It's dangerous."

"Why?"

"Because if you knew the answer things might work out differently. And we've had enough of that already."

Clark considered his words, but ultimately ended up shaking his head. "Nothing you say will change the way I feel. Trust me, I've been trying to make myself not feel this way for months, its not happening."

The Doctor finally turned back to look at him, but he was still gazing at Lois.

"So, go ahead, tell me." Clark said. "Tell me, that if this were my original timeline, I wouldn't be falling for Lois Lane. Because it won't make even the slightest difference."

The Doctor wanted nothing more than to tell him about Clark Kent and Lois Lane. That what he was feeling wasn't wrong, just too early. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

"Time can be re-written." he said, and hoped that his voice didn't give away the fact that he didn't fully believe his own words. "It's just, with important people like you, its not safe. But it's already happened. Time has changed. You can't be thinking about what happened in your original timeline, just live your life. Make your decision based on the here and now."

Clark was skeptical, especially considering how the Doctor reacted when he saw Lois's nameplate in the Daily Planet. But the Doctor clearly wasn't talking.

"So." he said, switching to more pressing matters. "What do we do now?"

"We pick up Zod. Take him to Shadow Proclamation." And when Clark sent him a blank look, he added "It's an outer-space police kind of thing. We take him there, with a list of his crimes, they'll sort him out. He's their problem now."

"I'm not leaving till Lois wakes up."

"Wouldn't ask you to, Clark." The Doctor smiled.

Clark let out a sigh of relief. As much as he wanted to stay by Lois's side, he would never be able to let the Doctor go after Zod on his own. Not with Zod's abilities.

"Besides," the Doctor said. "Zod's probably sitting in the Fortress ruins trying to pinpoint where it all went wrong."

They both looked down at Lois once more, and then the Doctor smiled again. "He can wait."

* * *

The Doctor left Clark in privacy, and made his way downstairs. He tried to ignore the tiny bits of guilt itching away at him. After all, what he had told Clark was probably the truth. While the appearance of a Reaper was proof that Clark and Lois kissing had caused a damage in time, there had been no sign of the vortex-dwelling creatures since then. That seemed to indicate that time was adapting to the situation. As well as that, the Reaper had taken several lives in its short rampage. And tragic as that may be, those lives were taken for a reason; to repair the damage the kiss had caused in the first place. In all likelihood, the universe could now withstand Clark Kent and Lois Lane getting together a few years early.

And yet, the Doctor thought, as he stood in the Kent's dark and empty living room, this was the life of Clark Kent. 'In all likelihood' wasn't good enough. His life was too important.

Needing some air, the Doctor stepped out onto the front porch, and found he was not alone. Chloe was sitting on the bench, cell phone to her ear.

"Could you have someone call me when he wakes up? Thank you."

She put her phone away and ran a shaky hand through her blonde hair.

"Everything alright?" the Doctor asked.

She had obviously not realized he was there, as she looked to him in surprise.

Then, remembering their previous conversations, she glared at him. "Fine." she said.

The Doctor gave her a small, and Chloe thought tired, smile. He placed his hands in his pockets and sat down next to her. "Actually, if it's alright with you, let's skip the staring contest. I come in peace, promise."

Chloe looked at him, suspicious. The last time they had been alone, the Doctor had refused to take his eyes off of her, as though expecting her to launch an attack at any moment. He had glared like she was the sum of all evil. And now, here he was. Gazing out into the dark fields, sitting next to her like she was an old friend.

"Who you on the phone with?" he asked.

She ran the question through her head, trying to work out what kind of mind game he was playing. "Metropolis General." she finally said. "My husband's a patient there."

"Is he ok?"

"Not really. He got hurt pretty bad, and I haven't been able to see him today."

"I'm sorry." he said. It seemed genuine, but Chloe wasn't buying it so easily.

"What are you doing?" she accused.. "What, you want to be friends now? A few hours ago you looked at me like I was the Devil."

The Doctor looked away shamefully. "Yeah, sorry about all that. I was a bit paranoid for a while. I knew Clark was being manipulated by someone close to him, I just didn't know who."

"Oh, and I had guilt written all over me?"

"Not guilt." he muttered. "Look, I jumped to some pretty inaccurate conclusions and I said some things I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, Chloe. Truly."

Chloe studied his face, trying to decide if he was being sincere or not. It certainly seemed that way; there was no trace of the glare in his eyes, they instead looked genuinely apologetic. And he had helped rescue Lois and Lana. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions too.

"Apology accepted." she said eventually, dropping her hostile tone for a much softer one.

He smiled, tiredly again. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you…?"

"Actually there is. Explain. Everything, preferably. From the beginning."

The Doctor let out a small laugh. "The beginning? Right, where to start…"

* * *

Clark sat in silence.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't beginning to worry. Lana had woken up almost an hour ago now, and yet Lois had not. What if the Doctor had been wrong, and she was injured much worse than he'd thought?

He tried not to think about it, or what he would do to Zod if there she was seriously hurt. But it was pointless. He would have to sit here restlessly for as long as it took until she woke up.

A grumbling brought him out of his thoughts. He quickly returned his gaze to the brunette in front of him.

With another uncomfortable groan, Lois opened her eyes. She quickly surveyed her surroundings, unsure of where she was. Her eyes landed on the person in front of her.

"…Clark?" She said.

"…Lois." He replied, immediately looking for any signs of serious damage.

She tried to sit up, but even the slightest movement brought on a massive headache. She slapped a hand to her forehead and gritted her teeth.

"Ow." She said, and added. "Some coffee would awesome!"

Clark smiled. She was going to be fine.

* * *

When the Doctor had finished his explanation, Chloe didn't feel as satisfied as she thought she would. Frustration, yes. Satisfaction, no.

"I can't believe this has been going on our entire lives." she said. "We should have known, we should have done something."

"Don't be yourself up, there's no way you could have known."

"You worked it out, and you've only been here for two days!"

"Ah, that's different though. I'm a Time Lord, I can feel when things like this happen. Literally, I feel it, in my gut. From the moment I got here, everything was just… wrong."

"But it's over right? Zod's finished. We stopped him."

"Yeah, it's over. Course it's over." he said. But Chloe noticed how he suddenly wasn't meeting her gaze.

"…Doctor?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing it's just…"

"What?"

And with a sigh, and in much quieter voice, he said, "Lois and Clark."

* * *

"So." Clark said, handing Lois a steaming cup of coffee. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got wacked over the head by something out of Star Wars. How do I look?"

"Like you got whacked over the head by something out of Star Wars." Clark quipped, and added. "But beautiful as always."

Lois blushed, and changed the subject. "How's Lana?"

"Fine, she's getting some rest."

"Good." she said, taking a sip from her coffee. "What the hell were those things?"

"It's a long story." Clark said. "One that will give you an even bigger headache."

She brought a hand to her throbbing head. "I doubt it can get any worse than this."

Clark reached out and grabbed her hand, not noticing her sharp intake of breath.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Smallville." Her voice was quiet, and she not-so-discreetly pulled her hand out of his, looking anywhere but at him.

Clark sighed. "I freaked you out the other night, didn't I?"

"No, of course not." she lied. "You were upset and confused and I was just there.

Don't worry about it."

He frowned. Did she think he'd only kissed her because she was there?

"And don't worry, Lana doesn't have to know. It'll only cause you two more problems." she said, and put on her best fake smile.

"Lana already knows." Clark said, watching Lois's smile falter. "We had a conversation about it just before you woke up, which was a long time coming."

"A conversation about what?"

"About how me and Lana, as a couple, are over. And have been for a while. And how we're gonna try and be friends now. And also, other stuff."

"…what other stuff?"

Clark thought about how close he'd come to losing her today. She might have died and never known how he truly felt about her. He'd been given a second chance, and he wasn't going to let it pass him by. So he took a deep breath, and said, "Lois I wasn't upset about Lana the other night. I've been over Lana for a long time. I was upset because I think I'm falling for someone else, and I don't know if she feels the same way."

He carefully watched her reaction, and felt his heart drop when she looked away and muttered. "Smallville, I…"

"I'm sorry." he said quickly. "I'm being stupid. I mean, you're still in love with Oliver, plus we're friends, and it's just…"

"I'm not still in love with Oliver." Lois said.

Clark heart rose a little.

"Since when?"

"Since when are you not in love with Lana?" she said, with a hint of that Lane grin.

Clark smiled, feeling hope spread through him. And then he remembered that, while it may not have been because of lingering feelings for Oliver, Lois had still reacted badly that night. Which, he realised, could mean only one thing.

"So when you ran out after I kissed you," he said, every word killing him. "it wasn't because of Oliver, but because you didn't want me kissing you."

He looked away, bracing himself for a sympathetic "I just don't like you that way." speech. But that's not what happened.

"I didn't say that." She said meekly. He immediately looked back at her, to see her blushing and biting her lip. "Clark I ran out because everything was happening so fast. I mean, working with you the past few months has been great, and I guess I could feel our relationship changing and then you just went and kissed me out of nowhere, and I freaked out!" She realised she was rambling, but was going too fast to stop. "I mean, should we be doing that? We're Lois and Clark, we don't kiss, or we never kissed before, and I got confused because it should have felt wrong but it really, really didn't! And ever since I…"

But Clark cut her off, by kissing her. Lois gasped, and her eyes went wide. She didn't like being interrupted. But maybe this time, she thought as she allowed herself to return the kiss, she'd let it slide.

But while both we're lost in each other, something unnatural was happening. The very second their lips touched, a shockwave ripped through time itself.

* * *

"Despite Zod's interference," the Doctor said to Chloe. "Clark's still been moving in the right direction. He's the Blur now, he's helping people. It'll be a while before he comes out of the shadows, and it's a different path, but he's still moving towards his destiny."

"But?" she asked.

"But things have still been changed. Zod thinks he's changed things small enough that they don't matter, but even the smallest changes can have consequences. Opportunities missed, acquaintances never made. Clark and Lois, what they're doing right now, it's…"

Chloe gasped. "Oh my god, was Clark never supposed to break up with Lana?"

"No, no, that's fine." the Doctor said, and then for the umpteenth time looked as though he wanted to end the conversation before it went any further..

"Doctor, just tell me!" Chloe said. If something was still threatening Clark, she had to know. "Don't you think I've seen enough today?"

The Doctor looked at her, for what seemed like the longest time, debating with himself. He reached a decision. "Lois Lane is Clark Kent's future wife."

Chloe was speechless. She simply stared at the Doctor, mouth agape. The last thing she ever expected to hear. In another situation, the Doctor might have been amused by her reaction. But not today. He waited for her to find words.

"Um… ok." She said. "So… Lois and Clark… are going to get married. What's the problem? They're clearly in love with each other, just look at them! What's changed?"

"It's too early. They're not supposed to be together till they're older. They're the only reason I'm here. They kissed, and time was disturbed. The TARDIS felt it and brought me to Smallville."

"So, what are you saying? That Lois and Clark can't be together? Because they might have a problem with that." It was true, Clark and Lois were two of the most stubborn people she'd ever met. If they wanted to be together, then time itself would have to deal with it.

"It's complicated." The Doctor said, running a hand through his hair, which Chloe was coming to see as sign of stress. "A lot of things have happened since then, much bigger things. Reapers, and Zod and Ice soldiers. Time is clever, and a little bit alive. Chances are, it's adapting to the situation. It might be able to take Lois and Clark a bit early now, I don't know. Not to mention the fact that knowing those two, they'll probably dance around each other for a few more years anyway, but I'm still…" He looked away from her again, out into the fields. "…worried."

And Chloe could see it. She had seen that look in Clark's eyes on many occasions; as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. But in the Doctor's case, it looked like it was actually the weight of the whole universe.

"You look tired." She told him. "Maybe you get some rest."

He shook his head. "Soon as Clark's ready we'll go and get Zod. I don't like leaving him out there for so long. Never know what he might come up with."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered something. A passing, egotistical comment Zod had made earlier, but one that he suddenly realised was immensely important:

"_But, as I'm sure you've heard, General Zod is famous for his uncanny ability to anticipate failure and prepare for it."_

* * *

The lights in what used to be Lionel Luthor's office flickered. An electric blue filled the room, as it had done some hours before. When it died away, a man stood in the centre of the room. His robes were torn, he had wounds on his face from falling glaciers.

But Zod was alive. And as long as he was alive, he was never defeated.

He walked to the vault that was built into the wall of the office, and ripped the massive door from its hinges.

He stepped inside, and while there was no light in the room, he was bathed in glow from the Kryptonian crystal console that stood in the vault. He smirked from under his beard, and took out the crystal in his pocket. The most important crystal ever created. The crystal he never kept hold of at all times, never allowing it to be away from him. He held it out in front of him.

"If at first you don't succeed…" he said.

He placed the crystal into the console, and felt himself being pulled into the time vortex.

_-End of Chapter 12-_

* * *

**If anyone's still reading after such a long time, a review would be great. :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**I did intend to have this up a lot sooner, but what can I say? I had a bit of trouble getting the players to take their final places. Anyway, this is the second to last chapter. There will be a short epilogue that I will post very soon.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

**The Clinton Street Car Crash**

There was a slam, and Clark and Lois instantly jumped apart.

The Doctor had burst into the room, obviously in some sort of a hurry, but was now just staring, first at Clark, then at Lois. Clark and Lois, slightly embarrassed, stayed silent, until the Doctor shook his head, as if clearing it of distractions.

"Big problems." he said to Clark. "Gotta go. Now!"

And with a swish of his long coat, he was out the door and down the stairs. As soon as he was gone, Lois grabbed Clark's shirt. Clark almost thought she was pulling him in for another kiss, but Lois just ensured their gazes were locked.

"Clark, the Doctor. He's dangerous. Lana and I…"

"I know." he interrupted. "But trust me, you've got it wrong. We can trust him." Like Lana, Lois looked like she wanted to argue. "Get some rest." He placed a kiss on her head. "I promise. I'll explain everything when I get back."

He stood up and walked to the door.

"Everything, Smallville?" Lois asked, that Lane grin on her face.

He turned back to her, and smiled. "Everything." he said.

And he meant it.

* * *

Clark entered the TARDIS to find Chloe frantically trying to keep up with the Doctor, as he flew around the ship's controls bashing buttons and pulling levers.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked, walking up the ramp to join the other two.

"That's what I've been trying to find out." Chloe replied, exasperated.

"Stupid, stupid, old man." the Doctor cried, pulling a particular lever that obviously put the TARDIS in flight, because the whole room suddenly lurched.

Clark and Chloe instantly lost their balance, and grabbed onto the nearest solid piece of the TARDIS for support.

"Chloe?" Clark asked, hoping she could shed some light on the Doctor's manic behaviour.

"No idea." the blonde said. "He just ran from the house and I followed. No explanation."

"Sorry about that." The Doctor cut in. "Protecting the future of the human race at the moment. Bit time consuming."

"Doctor, what's going on?" Clark said. "Zod's finished. You said so yourself."

"Oh, but I'm old and stupid." the Doctor said, taking a brief break from flying the TARDIS to smack himself in the head. "He's General Zod. Of course he'll have a back-up plan!"

He dragged the TARDIS monitor towards him, and Clark and Chloe unsteadily found their way behind him to look. But the screen simply showed multiple circular symbols. The two biggest of which seemed to be following each other across the screen.

"Stay still, you swine!" the Doctor muttered.

"Doctor, wha…?"

"Zod must have had another crystal console. In case anything should ever happen to the Fortress. He's travelling back in time again." He nodded to the screen. "That's him, in the time vortex. And I'm hot on his tail."

"What's he going back in time for?" Chloe asked.

"Dunno exactly. Maybe he's gonna start his whole plan from scratch and hope I don't show up again. Or, if he's feeling angry and reckless, he might be going to find Clark as a baby. And kill him."

Clark and Chloe shared panicked looks.

"Don't worry, though. I caught him in time. No pun intended."

"You can stop him? Clarks asked.

"'Course I can. He's using basic time travel. But this a TARDIS!" He slapped the console affectionately. "A type 40, TT! I can lock onto Zod and stop him from landing. Trap him in the vortex and force him to go back to your time."

After a few more seconds of chasing, the big circle on the monitor latched onto the smaller one.

"Got him!" the Doctor cried. "No more time-travel for you!"

But the Doctor quickly stopped smiling.

A bell had sounded. One, single toll, echoing throughout the vast room..

Clark and Chloe looked to the Doctor, but he was gazing up at the ceiling, a look of utter confusion on his face.

"That's the cloister bell." he announced. "But… nothing's wrong. Everything's fine!"

Chloe gradually realised that the shaking under her feet was beginning to get steadily more violent. It was becoming very hard to remain standing. The lights in the roundels that covered the walls began to flicker. And then, along with all other lights in ship, they went out. The wheezing and groaning noises of the TARDIS suddenly died away; the ground beneath their feet became perfectly still. Clark, Chloe and the Doctor stood in silent darkness.

And then an impossibly white light cut through the room, beginning in the central column and rapidly flowing out into the rest of the ship. Like a shockwave. All three passengers fell backwards onto the hard metal grating of the TARDIS floor, as though for a second the ship had been knocked onto it's side.

But as quickly as the white light had appeared, it was gone. The rest of the TARDIS began to hum again, the lights returned to the roundels. In fact, the only sign that anything had happened at all was that four oxygen masks had fell from the ceiling, and now dangled above them.

"What," Chloe asked, one hand on her head. "_the hell_, was that?"

The Doctor was first to his feet. "Amazingly good question." he said. "But for another time. More pressing matters." He knocked an oxygen mask out of his face and pulled the monitor towards him again. "Everyone okay?"

"I've been better." Chloe said. Clark pulled himself up by the railings and helped her to her feet.

"No, no, no, no!" the Doctor gasped. "That light must have knocked out the locking device, and the TARDIS is still recovering. I can't shut Zod down!"

"What?" Clark said. "Doctor, if we can't stop him…"

"There's gotta be something you can do?" Chloe added.

But the Doctor shook his head. "Nope. Best I can do now is follow him. Prepare for landing." he said, then added, "And actually, the TARDIS is still a bit dazed, so you might want to…" And he reached up and pulled an oxygen mask over his mouth. Clark and Chloe immediately did the same.

Relatively later, in an alleyway off a busy street, a blue box appeared. Clark stepped out, closely followed by Chloe and the Doctor.

"Where are we, where did we land?" Clark asked

"1989, according to the TARDIS." answered the Doctor .

"Metropolis." Chloe said, taking the words out of the Doctor's mouth. "Downtown. Clinton Street, actually." And when both men shot her confused expressions, she clarified, "I used to live around here when I was a kid."

The Doctor's face fell. His eyes shot to the street, suddenly very aware of the many cars speeding past each other. "Oh, no."

"What?" Chloe asked, aware that it was her comment that had alarmed him.

"We have to find Zod, and fast!"

"Actually," Clark said. "he just found us."

The Doctor and Chloe switched their gazes to where Clark was looking. It was true; across the street, Zod had appeared. He was walking at a brisk pace, a man on a mission. But, strangely, not in their direction. He was on the other side of the road, and looked to be making no attempt to cross over, nor did he show any sign he was aware of their presence.

Clark, of course, was oblivious to this, as the moment he had spotted Zod he had been overcome with rage. He made a move forward, but the Doctor grabbed him by the arm.

"Hold on a sec." he said, gazing curiously at Zod.

"But, you just said…" Clark protested.

"I know. But I meant we need to find our Zod, and I don't think that's him. Look at him."

Clark did, and even in his anger, he had to admit the Doctor was right. For starters, the Zod across the street's clothing was less conspicuous than the ceremonial Kryptonian garments he'd been wearing when Clark last saw him in the Fortress; which allowed him to freely walk the street without garnering attention. And, Clark figured, escaping from the collapsing Fortress must have left some scrapes. Yet this Zod was in perfect health. Furthermore, Clark had seen the fury in Zod's eyes before he left the Fortress. It was not something that would fade over an hour or two. This Zod was a picture of cool.

"So who is that?" he asked.

"Zod from the past." the Doctor said. "This must be it. The moment he disturbed the timeline. The moment he changed your life forever."

Clark and Chloe looked on with anticipation. It felt almost as if they were driving past a car wreck; they knew the consequences of what was about to happen, but silently they realised they'd been waiting to see this moment since they first learned of Zod's plan. They prepared themselves for a complicated few minutes, full of the "small yet significant" changes the Doctor had been speaking of. However, Zod simply reached a car parked on the curb, aimed his heat vision at it's tires, and they quickly melted away. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed, and satisfied they had not, went on his way. The Doctor, Chloe and Clark watched him walk to the end of the street and disappear around the corner.

"…that's it?" Chloe exclaimed.

"Ohhh," the Doctor said. "So simple."

"Wait, I don't get it." said Clark. "I mean, I know the slightest change can affect everything, but what changed? What was supposed to happen?"

There was gust of wind, a sharp intake of breath, and a snarling voice. "I think I might be able to answer that."

The Doctor and Clark whirled around, to find Zod standing next to the TARDIS, holding Chloe by the throat.

For a second, no one moved. Zod glared at them, almost inviting an attack so he could snap Chloe's neck. Chloe, well aware of this, gazed wide eyed in fear at Clark and the Doctor, who cursed themselves for not expecting this, and returned Zod's glare.

"Let her go." Clark said. "She's got nothing to with this."

Zod grinned horribly. "Actually, she's got everything to do with this. Isn't that right, Doctor?"

Clark and Chloe glanced at the other man, seeing guilt flash over his face. "What's he talking about?" Clark asked.

"It's not important." the Doctor said. "Zod, listen to me. Calm down. Let's talk about this."

"Yes." Zod agreed. "Let's. Let's talk about the beautiful Miss Sullivan here"

"That's _Mrs _Olsen, you son of a-" She gasped as Zod momentarily tightened his vice grip on her throat.

"Sshh." he said. "This should be enlightening, I would like for you to be alive to hear it."

"Zod." the Doctor warned.

"No, no, no, Doctor. You wanted to talk, let's talk." Zod switched his gaze to Clark, and said in mock kindness, "Forgive me, Kal-El, I said I would answer your question but I believe it would be better if the Doctor did so instead."

Zod grinned again, the sickening grin of a desperate man who had suddenly regained the upper hand. He was panting as a result of his quick action following his escape from the falling fortress, the same event which had left bleeding flesh wounds on his neck and face. He had never more looked a maniac.

"Answer Kal-El's question, Doctor." he said. "Tell Kal-El and Chloe what you've known all along, what you've been keeping from them. Tell them what I did here at the beginning of my, almost, perfect plan." He lowered his voice to an insane whisper. "Tell them why you weren't so fond of Chloe."

The Doctor looked at the ground, unable to take the questioning gazes of Clark and Chloe, or the manic Zod's.

"Tell them!" Zod barked, and squeezed Chloe's neck, eliciting a cry of pain.

"Okay!" the Doctor said. And as much as it broke his hearts, he looked at Chloe, and took a deep breath. "Zod needed Lex in Smallville. That was the first part of his plan. And with Luthorcorp building a Plant there, it looked like that was going to happen anyway. But, in Clark's original timeline, the Luthorcorp Plant never went ahead. Because the man who was to be the Plant's manager had to turn down the job. To grieve."

Chloe shook her head. "But my Dad was the Plant manager. Why would he need to time to grieve?"

The Doctor was silent, and somehow Clark could tell he'd been dreading this moment for a while.

"I'm sorry, Chloe." the Doctor said. "I'm so sorry. But you died. As a child, you and your mother, in a car crash, that would have happened today. That was what Zod was doing before, destroying the tires of the car that would have hit you. You survived, your Dad took that job, and Lex came to Smallville."

"It's me?" Chloe said, her voice an unsteady whisper. "I'm what he changed? I'm the reason…" She looked to Clark, who looked back, but neither could say a word.

"Chloe, listen to me!" said the Doctor. "You are not…"

"Sorry, Doctor." Zod said. "I'll cut in here, its not satisfying me as much as I thought it would coming from you." He turned Chloe around to face him, bringing her closer by the throat. "To clarify, Miss Sullivan. You should not be alive. Your very existence is simply a consequence of my interference in the life of Clark Kent. You represent my manipulation and supremacy. You are my stamp on his life!"

He let his words hang in the air for a few seconds. Chloe closed her eyes, unable to take the sickening truth of his words. But Clark, whose world had been just as shattered by the Doctor's revelation as hers, seemed strangely calm. Of course, his rage towards Zod had increased astronomically. But he held it beneath the surface, carefully studying Zod. Waiting for his moment.

"Sadly," Zod went on. "now you have to die. Again. See, my plan has hit a… bump in the road, you might say. And I think I need to start over, this time avoiding any interference from a certain Time Lord."

The Doctor laughed. "You have no idea what you're doing, do you? Do you even know how I came here in the first place? The TARDIS detected a disturbance in time. Clark Kent kissed Lois Lane in the Daily Planet too early. Missed that one, didn't you? But it sent a shockwave through time and I noticed. You go ahead and start over, but sooner or later it'll happen again and I'll be back. I always come back."

Zod opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. "Wait." he said. "A shockwave through time? That happened just now, in the vortex. It's how I escaped your locking technology."

The Doctor blinked. With his hands full with Zod, he had missed it. Missed the connection, and the confirmation of his fears. But suddenly his mind was flooded; the time disturbance that the TARDIS detected in the first place, and what caused it; the second shockwave, this one so intense it temporarily shut down the TARDIS, and what Clark and Lois had been doing when he burst into the bedroom on the Kent Farm

"Oh." Zod said, reaching the same conclusion. "Fate is _truly_ on my side. He can't be with the woman he loves. Brilliant. I should have used it somehow. Oh well, save it for next time."

"There won't be a next time." the Doctor growled, returning his mind to the matter at hand, but promising to berate himself for his stupidity later.

"My dear Doctor, that is out of your control. Today, I kill Chloe Sullivan. Clark Kent's timeline resets. And since you are all products of the current timeline, the one which I will be destroying, you will all disappear. Kal-El's life will return to normal, and when I return with a new plan, he'll be ripe for picking, with no surprises. No Chloe Sullivan, she'll be six feet under, where she belongs. And as for the Doctor, the Oncoming Storm will off on the other side of the galaxy destroying someone else's world." He fixed the Doctor with a knowing gaze, and added, "And if I wait a little bit longer, I won't have to worry about the Doctor ever again." Before the Doctor could question, he cupped a hand to his ear. "Ssh! Listen. Do I hear someone knocking?"

Seeing the Doctor go pale, Zod started to laugh. Victoriously, he laughed. Sickeningly, he laughed. Uncontrollably, he laughed. So uncontrollably, in fact, that for the slightest second he loosened his grip on Chloe's throat.

It was all Clark needed.

In the blink of an eye, Clark had launched himself at Zod. A lightening fast fist to the jaw, and Zod let go of Chloe completely. Clark grabbed Zod by his robes and by his neck, and launched him, sending him flying down the long alleyway and crashing into the wall at the end of it. Zod coughed and tried to get to his feet, but Clark was at his side instantly. He dug his fist into Zod's ribs twice, and threw him again, this time at the wall immediately to his left. Zod broke right through the wall and in to the other side.

Clark followed him, but the falling debris had provided a cover, and when he stepped through the hole in the wall, Zod was nowhere to be seen. What Clark could see was that he was on an empty factory floor; unattended conveyer belts were laid out in front of him. It was a large hall, with stairs that led to numerous floors of metal walkways above him.

"Zod!" Clark called. "Show yourself, coward."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than something collided with him and sent him sliding across the floor. He looked up and saw a bloody-mouthed Zod before him.

"Never confuse cowardice with strategy." he said.

* * *

The Doctor scanned the dozens of cars populating the busy Metropolis street. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Any chance you remember what your Mum's car looked like?" he asked his companion. There was no reply.

Turning around, he saw that Chloe had followed him out of the alley and onto the street, but no further. She had a hand to bruised neck, and tears in her eyes.

"So, what, are we just going to act like nothing's happened. Like nothing's changed?" she said.

"Nothing has changed, Chloe." he said, turning back to the cars.

"I shouldn't be alive! And the fact that I am means Clark's being held back from his destiny!"

The Doctor shook his head, they didn't have time for this. "You've got it all wrong. What's Zod's intentionally changed, that's what's holding Clark back. You're just came out of that."

"I'm the root of it!" she cried. "Of everything! It all starts with me. If Zod hadn't saved me, then Clark wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Don't be silly. If Zod hadn't have stopped this crash, he'd have just found some other way."

But Chloe wasn't going to be consoled so easy. "All the things I've done, all my life, none of it should have happened. My husband! Is there some other girl out there who he should have married?"

"Chloe." he said, finally turning to look at her. "Time can be rewritten. And we can talk about this later, right now we have to find your car." And he turned his attention back to the many cars whizzing past.

"No we can't talk about this later! How many people are going to die because of me? Because Clark can't become the person capable of saving them. And you knew, didn't you. The moment you saw me. I had it written all over me!"

This time he didn't even reply. Chloe just looked at him, she couldn't believe he was acting like this was no big deal, when her whole life had been for nothing but to keep Clark from saving the world. She was angry and frustrated and upset and afraid, and so she said, "Maybe we just let Zod kill me."

The Doctor froze. He looked back at her to see if she was serious, and when he saw that she was he walked right up to her.

"Listen to me." he said, his voice quiet but demanding that she obey every word. "You've got to get over this. Yes, what's Zod's doing to Clark is terrible. He's caused so much pain to so many people, but out of that tragedy, we get you. Out of all that evil, we get Chloe Sullivan. Yeah, the girl who shouldn't exist but, oh, you try and stop her!"

"But…"

"No!" he yelled, losing all patience. "Listen to me. Chloe Sullivan does not die today. Because I'm not going to let it happen. I'm going to save her. And her mother. And then I'm going to stop General Zod and save Clark Kent; the great saviour himself! And then whoever's knocking can knock all they like. Because I'm the Doctor! I'm the Time Lord here. The only one left. I say what happens and what doesn't. Me!" His eyes were on fire, like nothing Chloe had ever seen. "Understood?" She nodded. "Good. Now what colour was your mother's car?"

"Blue." she eventually replied.

"Thank you." he said, and set off down the street again.

* * *

Clark gritted his teeth, and tried to ignore the pain spreading through his shoulder.

"In the future," Zod said, watching Clark try to get back to his feet. "or what used to be the future, you only defeated me by blind luck." Clark unsteadily tried to push himself up, but Zod leisurely kicked his arm out from under him, causing him to fall back onto his face. "What makes you think, after everything I've done to you, in the state you're in, you have any chance against General Zod?" He used his foot to roll Clark over onto his back, and surveyed him with disgust. And then he delivered a hard kick to Clark's stomach, which sent him right across to the other side of the room.

"I won't let you do this!" Clark gasped.

Zod laughed. "What makes you think you have any say in the matter. I have spent a life time ensuring you are as weak as possible. I am your superior in every way. I am the God of your world! Literally. Everything you've ever known is my doing. I gave Chloe Sullivan life, and today I shall take it away"

"If you lay a finger on her…"

"Well, truth be told, I'd also much rather she lived. I enjoyed having a little hallmark." He made sure Clark could see his smirk, and shrugged. "But, what can I say, the bitch is more trouble than she's worth."

Suddenly all the pain in Clark's body disappeared, washed away by white hot fury. He staggered to his feet, and Zod's smirk faltered when he saw the look in his eyes. The General took a cautious step back, but before he could go any further, Clark shot at him like a bullet. He smashed into Zod, and drilled him into the factory wall. Before Zod could slink to the floor, Clark forced him back up.

He struck Zod across the face with his right fist, and rammed his left one into Zod's ribs. Zod tried to strike back, but Clark was too fast. He caught Zod's fist in the air, and wrenched his arm in a way it wasn't meant to bend. Zod's screams of agony were cut short by Clark's fist once again colliding with his jaw. He once again grabbed Zod by the neck of his robes and threw him across the room.

Not wanting to give any time to recover, Clark walked right over to where Zod had landed. Zod quickly stumbled to his feet, and tried to surprise Clark, but again the younger Kryptonian was a step ahead. He blocked Zod's punch and delivered another of his own.

Zod could barely stand, but his words were still ringing in Clark's ears. He grabbed him by the robes to keep him upright, and drove his knee into his midsection multiple times. Blood was flowing from Zod's mouth now, but Clark still wasn't finished yet. He punched Zod across the face again, and then gave him an uppercut that momentarily lifted the General off the ground, before he feel in a heap to the floor.

Clark vaguely realised he was panting, though more from anger than fatigue. He looked at Zod, who was face down on the ground, blood still trickling from his mouth. His eyelids were heavy, but open, which told Clark he was still conscious.

"You were wrong." Clark told him. "Everything you've done to me, you haven't made me weaker. I'm still here. Standing between you the innocents. And I'll still fight to stop you getting to them. I'll never let you win."

But to Clark's surprise, Zod simply burst out laughing. "I've already won, Kal-El." he said, pulling himself up with difficulty. "I have successfully reduced you to a shell of what you could have been. I've reached my objective."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Clark asked. "You've failed. That's why you here trying to start from the beginning, and avoid making the same mistakes!"

"The only mistake I made was not anticipating the Doctor's involvement. While he's here, he won't rest until I'm imprisoned. Going back to the beginning is the only way to get rid of him. But even if I fall today, it doesn't matter. You will never be what you were, and he doesn't have it in him to undo my work. Make no mistakes, Kal-El. I have, finally, won."

He started to laugh again, and Clark could find nothing to say.

"However," Zod said eventually. "I have no intention of being imprisoned. So, if you'll excuse me, I have a girl to un-save. "

Clark was about to ask how he expected to get past him, but he was distracted when the colour of Zod's pupils turned scarlet. Clark looked up to the factory's roof, where Zod had aimed his heat vision. He had a brief glimpse of massive pieces of falling debris, and anything it collided with on the way, plummeting towards him. And then he could only see darkness.

* * *

"This one?" the Doctor said.

Chloe strained her neck to try and see where he was looking. "Where?"

"There!" he shouted, pointing. "The blue one!"

Chloe scanned every car till she found the one he was talking about, but there was no blonde woman and child in there, just a man. "No, that's not my Mom."

The Doctor sighed. "Are you sure you can't remember this day? What time you would have been here?"

"No!" Chloe answered for the millionth time. "There was no crash, so why would I? It was probably the most ordinary day in the world."

The longer their search went on, the more restless the Doctor got. Eventually, he was almost being hit by the cars as he ducked in front of them to see who was driving. When Chloe had to pull him back onto the curb at the last second to stop him being splattered onto a windshield, she decided enough was enough and gripped his arm tight.

"Calm down." she said. "You being run down isn't going to help us find it any faster."

The Doctor nodded. "Sorry." he said. She let go and they continued walking down the street. "It's just, the quicker we get to her, the further away we can get them, before Zod shows up."

"Well, Clark's been doing a good job keeping him busy so far."

"Yeah." the Doctor agreed, allowing himself a small smile. "Maybe the General didn't make him as weak as he thought he did."

Chloe looked over her shoulder to return his smile, but the Doctor wasn't there for very long. No sooner had she laid eyes upon him, then a horrible blur came out of nowhere and smacked into him. Next second, the Doctor was on the floor a few feet away, and Zod stood where he had been. He grinned at her, then his hand shot out and reclaimed her throat.

"Kal-El had the same delusion." he said, speaking to the Doctor yet keeping his eyes on Chloe. "But you, Doctor. You know how weak I've made him, you just don't want to admit it."

The street wasn't particularly crowded, but the people that were there were starting to notice. Especially seeing as one man lay injured on the floor, while another held a young woman by her neck and seemed to be toying with her by slowly leading her towards the curb and oncoming traffic.

"Because if you did," Zod continued. "well, your hearts wouldn't be able to take it, would they? And you'd have to make a difficult decision. Fortunately for you, I'm here to make that decision for you."

"Zod," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "I swear on my life…"

"Which isn't due to last much longer," Zod interrupted. "so I'd think that statement through."

"I won't let you do this!" the Doctor yelled.

But the General just rolled his eyes. "Kal-El was under the same delusion. But what you fail to understand is that this, is _my world_! I made it. This moment in time belongs to me, and it will play out as I so."

"Clark might have something to say about that." Chloe managed to say.

"Kal-El is not a threat." Zod replied.

"Really? Cause your bloody mouth says differently."

"Perhaps there was a slight underestimation on my part. But the child is still _so_ predictable."

At that moment, a red-blue blur whooshed into view, but… _Wham!_ Zod had been waiting, and had thrust out his fist exactly as Clark had reached him. Of course, all this had happened too fast for either Chloe or the Doctor to see, and their first glimpse of Clark was as he lay on the ground with blood pouring from his nose.

Zod promptly thrust Chloe aside, and focused his attention on Clark.

"What is it that you don't understand?" he bellowed. "You are inferior to me, that's what all this has been to ensure!"

"Hey!"

Zod turned to see that a police car had pulled up, and two cops were standing behind their doors, with their guns pointed at directly at him.

"Hands in the air." said one of the cops. "Right now!"

Zod surveyed them, and their 'weapons', and smirked.

"Of course, officers. I'll come quietly." he said, raising his hands into the air.

"Run!" the Doctor cried, "Your guns won't hurt him, just go!" He tried to stand up, but Zod casually kicked him in the stomach.

"Hey!" the cop said again. "Step away from him! Put your hands on your head and get down on your knees."

Zod's mocking grin faded "I beg your pardon?"

"On your knees. Now."

"Do you realise," Zod snarled. "what you've just asked and who you've just asked it of? I don't you do, and I do think you ever will."

He dropped his hands, and aimed his gaze at the patrol car. Once again, the next few seconds were filled with actions only two on Clinton Street could see. Zod focused all his heat vision on the police car, which quickly began to explode. But before the Police Officers could prepare for their end, they suddenly found themselves safely on the other side of the street. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, there stood a bloody but not beaten Clark.

"I told you." he said. "You haven't made me weaker. You've only made me want to protect people from you even more!"

Zod looked slightly annoyed to see Clark back on his feet, but quickly got over it, shaking his head in frustration. "You're still missing it!" he said. "You still don't understand what I've done to you. You don't just want protect the humans, you want to be one of them. You've spent years cursing that voice in the Fortress. Repulsed by the fact that that voice, which told you to do such terrible things, was your own flesh and blood. That's what I've done to you, Kal-El. I've made you incapable of accepting your Kryptonian heritage. You'll never accept that you're different. You will always be repressing yourself. That's why you'll never reach your potential, that's why you'll never be who you once were, and that's why you will never, ever, be able to do… this."

Throughout Zod's rant, Clark had kept his eyes firmly locked with the madman. But slowly he realised that in order to keep his eyes locked with Zod, he had to raise his gaze. Zod's feet had left the ground, he was rising into the air.

He was flying.

He allowed Clark, Chloe and the Doctor to watch him for a moment in open-mouthed horror.

"How will humanity look up in the sky for hope, if hope cannot reach the skies?"

Chloe looked to the Doctor desperately, but she could see by his face that all hope was lost. Clark could only watch Zod continue to rise into the air, feeling utterly powerless for the first time in his life. Zod waited a few more seconds, relishing in what appeared to be a fast approaching victory. And then he attacked.

He flew straight at Clark, who could only pull his arm back and prepare to swing. But Zod twisted direction in the air, and ended up flying at Clark from behind where he was able to strike freely.

Clark cried in pain, but quickly turned to face his attacker. But Zod had flown over him, behind him once more, and hit Clark again.

Clark swung his arm backwards, but Zod had already flew out of harm's way and landed another strike.

And before long, Chloe and the Doctor could only watch as a Zod shaped blur flew at Clark from every possible angle, delivering crushing blow after crushing blow. Clark was trying with every inch of himself to fight, but Zod was just too fast, and coming every direction.

"No!" the Doctor said, and tried to run towards Clark. But Zod flew at him too, hitting him in the face and sending him back to the ground.

As Zod's assault continued, Clark's legs began to fail him. First he fell to one knee, then to both. All thoughts were beginning to focus on the unbearable pain throughout his body. He tried to think of Lois, back home waiting for him. For Chloe, whose very existence was resting on him. Of Lana, and his parents, of everyone on the planet who would be in danger if Zod succeeded. And for them. he continued to swing with every single thing he had left. But eventually, his body could take no more, and betrayed him. He fell face down to the floor.

Zod slowed to a halt mid-air, taking his time floating back to the ground. He reached Clark's body and poked it with his foot to check for a response. When he didn't receive one, he grabbed Clark by the neck of his jacket, and hoisted his motionless body up into the air. Zod looked around at Chloe, and the Doctor, and the other terrified civilians in Clinton Street and, holding Clark aloft, screamed: "Your Superman!"

He spun slowly on the spot, presenting the swollen and blood-soaked face of Clark Kent for all to see, before coming to a stop in front of the Doctor, who himself was bleeding from Zod's attack. He threw Clark down in front of him where the barely breathing body bounced as it hit the ground.

"Tell me again," Zod said. "how I haven't changed anything. Tell me that this can still be the Man of Steel, and humanity's great protector."

The Doctor wasn't listening. He crawled over to his friend, cradling his head. "Clark?" he said, pointlessly. "Clark, can you hear me?"

"Kal-El cannot hear you. Nor can he save any of the humans on this street, anymore. But you can. Their lives will be spared on one condition."

The Doctor refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing him ask what that condition was. Instead, he simply looked at Zod with hate filled eyes.

"Stand up, Time Lord."

With no other option, the Doctor gently laid Clark's head down, and stood before General Zod.

Zod stepped in close to him. "Doctor." he said. "Last of the Time Lords, and the Oncoming Storm…" He looked the Doctor up and down, and smirked. "Kneel before Zod."

He knew he had to. If he had any chance of forming _anything_ resembling a plan to try and stop Zod, he had to buy time. He couldn't let his something as ridiculous as his pride stand in the way of that. And yet it still killed him, as he closed his eyes and swallowed, and knelt down before General Zod.

Zod delighted in the sight for a few seconds, before delivering a sharp kick to the Doctor's chest. The Doctor gasped and flew across the floor.

"And now, for the main event!" he said, turning around to find Chloe.

Deciding to go out fighting, like Clark did, she stood up and faced Zod.

"Little Chloe Sullivan." Zod said. "The girl who never quiet fit in, all her life. Who couldn't understand why her mother left her, or why Clark didn't like her the way she liked him. I'm going to take away all that pain. It will never have happened. I'm going to…" But Zod suddenly stopped and turned around, blowing air out of his lungs as hard as he could, which lifted the Doctor, who had been crawling in the direction of the TARDIS, into the air. He fell back to earth with a thud.

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"Never!" the Doctor said, biting back pain.

"What was the plan?" Zod asked, walking over to where the Doctor had fallen. "Find some magic button on the TARDIS that would stop me? And then what?"

"You'll never win. I won't let you."

Zod let out a frustrated cry. "I have already won! The proof is lying bloody and battered before you." He gestured to Clark. "This can never be Superman. Which means anyone he ever stopped will now succeed. Anyone he ever saved will die. There will be no great hope, no inspiration. And when I break free from what ever prison you hope to lock me in, I will succeed too. This planet, and so many other will be placed under my rule! And you don't have the courage to do the one thing that would ensure none of that would ever come to be. Ergo, I win!"

There was a sob behind them, that caught both Zod and the Doctor's attention.

Chloe was on her knees, facing away from them and towards the top of the street, watching something.

"He's right." she whispered, tears flowing down her face.

"See?" Zod said. "Chloe's a clever girl, she gets it."

But the Doctor wasn't listening. "Chloe?"

"You'll find him again, right?" she said, looking at him, her eyes so sad and scared. "And without me, there won't be anything stopping you from stopping him?"

The Doctor didn't understand, until he saw what she had seen a few seconds ago. It had turned the corner onto Clinton Street, and was drawing steadily closer towards them.

"No." he breathed. "Chloe, don't!"

"What?" Zod demanded, wondering if this was some sort of a trick. "What are you talking about? Tell me!"

"You'll save him, though. Right? If I do this?"

"Chloe, please don't." the Doctor begged through his own tears. "Please don't!"

"Chloe?" Clark murmured. He lifted his bloody face up to see her. "What are you doing."

She gazed at him. "I'm sorry Clark, but I have to."

"Chloe, this is not the answer!" the Doctor screamed. "I'll find another way, I promise you!

"I don't know what you're planning." Zod said, starting to advance upon her. "But you can't stop me. You are my creation, you will do as I say."

"I'm Chloe Sullivan, and I'll do whatever the hell I want!" She turned for one last look at the Doctor. "Save him." she said.

The Doctor screamed, Clark watched, Zod tried to grab her. But too late.

As Moira Sullivan drove down Clinton Street, with little Chloe in the back seat, she was too focused on the sight of the burning car, and the crowd of people watching some sort of commotion. So focused, in fact, that she didn't notice the blonde girl jumping out in front of her car.

There was a screech of breaks, an echoing crash, and a storm of screams. And afterwards, all three Sullivans were dead.

In his last seconds, the Clark Kent of this timeline wept for his best friend. But soon time caught up him, and then there was no Clark Kent in Clinton Street.

General Zod had watched the whole event with bemused enjoyment. But now, job done, there was no time to waste. He turned to walk away, eager to begin formulating his new plan. But he stopped when he saw that, unlike Clark, the Doctor had very much not disappeared. Instead, he was gazing at the smoking car wreck, devastated.

"Why are you still here?" Zod snapped. "This version of you never existed now, you should have faded away like Kal-El."

The Doctor breathed in. Sirens could be heard in the distance now. Ambulances and police cars, he guessed. "I'm a Time Lord." he said, calmly. "I can resist the change for longer."

"Oh." Zod said. "Well then. I better wait here until you go. Just to make sure." he smiled.

But the Doctor vacantly shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Zod paused. "Excuse me?"

"Time is complicated, and a little bit alive." the Doctor said. "And it's very busy at the minute. I think, if I can stay until time heals itself, it might forget about me."

"Heals itself? What's that supposed to mean?"

The Doctor turned his heavy eye's to Zod. "Chloe Sullivan just caused the death of Chloe Sullivan." he said. "Paradox."

Before Zod could reply, the earth beneath them started to quake. A patch in the sky was wearing away.

"What's happening? What have you done?" Zod cried.

"Time's been damaged." the Doctor told him. "And they're here to cleanse the wound. And you, you're the cause of this paradox. And a time-traveller. Exactly what it needs to restore the balance."

Zod stared in horror as a Reaper clawed it's way out of the vortex and through the hole in the sky. Once out, it spread it's wings, let out a hungry howl, and locked it's glowing red eyes onto Zod.

Zod screamed in fear and tried to run, but the Reaper was too fast. It devoured him right there on the spot, using all the energy from his travels in and manipulations of time to allow the universe to carry on past the paradox that had just taken place. And when it's meal was finished and it's job was done, it returned to where it belonged.

When the Doctor didn't fade away minutes later, he assumed he had survived. But, of course, he always did. He was always the one left behind, to live with the consequences.

* * *

_End of Chapter 13_

**Remember, this is not the end! A short epilogue to follow soon! A review might inspire me to write it faster (hint).**


	15. Chapter 15

**I've started a chapter with "I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated" about 5 times running now. But this time I had some personal stuff to deal with, nothing too serious, just time consuming. Plus, my computer was brutally attacked by a virus and was out for the count for a bit, so that didn't help either. But mostly, there was _a lot_ more of this Epilogue then what you're about to read. A lot more. And, while I liked what I cut out, (it had Lois Lane in, what's not to like?) it just wasn't needed, and was slowing things down, so it had to go.**

**Anyway, I've got a few things to say seeing as this is the last chapter, but I'll put all that at the very bottom, for anyone who just wants to read the chapter, and not my thoughts on it. :)**

* * *

**Epilogue:**

**The Times They Are a-Changing**

There were moments, of course, when Clark felt alone. An outcast. An alien. But, then again, what teenager didn't feel such things from time to time? And even in those moments when he felt down, he reminded himself that some people had it a lot worse.

He had two loving, if at times over-protective parents; Pete, his best friend, who always had his back; and Lana, his beautiful girlfriend, who was always there to talk.

There were people in this world without a home, or a family, or food. And here he was, sulking because his father wouldn't allow him to play football. When he thought about it like that, his life wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

One morning, he was late for the school bus.

Pete laughed, watching through the window as the bus sped right past his best friend.

"Statistical fact:" he said. "If Clark moved any slower, he'd be extinct."

Pete turned to his left, and stopped laughing.

It was weird; he knew the seat next to him was empty. So who had he been expecting to be sitting next to him, laughing at his joke?

* * *

"Clark?"

At the sound of his name, Clark turned back and saw Principal Kwan standing in the doorway of his office.

"Sir?" he answered, walking over to the Principal.

"Any interest in Journalism?"

"Oh." Clark said, caught off guard. "Uh, I enjoyed covering it in English Class. Why?"

"_The Torch_'s editor graduated at the end of last year, and we're in need of a new one. You up for it?"

An hour later, and Clark found himself in the empty offices of the _Smallville High Torch_, his first deadline already approaching. There were dozens of scraps of paper laid out across a desk, each one representing a possible story. Clark was wondering what he'd gotten himself in to when something caught his eye.

There was a cork message board on the wall, that was bare. And for some reason, that bothered Clark. He didn't know why, but he just felt that wall should be covered in articles. Almost as though he'd seen it that way before.

He stood up and approached the wall, and when he reached it he was surprised to feel a stabbing sense of sadness. Why, Clark couldn't explain. He'd never seen this board in his life, that he knew of.

He picked up one of the potential stories he'd laid out, and pinned it to the wall.

* * *

"Your Mother's worried." Jonathan said, climbing the loft stairs.

His son, previously gazing out of the window into the night, turned to him.

"Why?"

"You haven't said a word since you came home from school." he said, walking over to the window. "You barely touched your dinner. She thinks something's wrong." He looked at his son. "I do too."

Clark's gaze remained on the dark fields for a few seconds. "Did you see the news today?" he eventually said. "Flooding in Pakistan. It's chaos there."

"Clark…" Jonathan sighed, having had this conversation before.

"The government did the best they could, but they didn't get there fast enough. People died."

"Son, you can't blame…"

"I could have saved them, Dad."

"You had no way of knowing, just like the government didn't. You can't feel responsible for these things, Clark. You were in no position to help."

"Well maybe that needs to change!"

They had had this conversation many times before; Clark would blame himself for things beyond his control and Jonathan would try and calm him down**.** But for the first time since he walked up the loft stairs, Jonathan realised this time was different.

"What are you saying, son?"

"I don't know," Clark said, looking out at the stars again. "I can't go on sitting in school filling out college applications, when there are people out there dying. Not when I could be doing something about it. I was sent here for a reason, I had to be. "

"Now look here," said Jonathan. "I don't want you doing anything because you think it's the reason you're here. You do what you feel is right. Don't you want to go to college?"

"I don't know, Dad. I mean, I like journalism. It's the one thing I can do the same as regular people and not have an advantage, you know? And I'm good at it! But is that my destiny? Is that why I have all these powers?"

"Clark, the only person in control of your destiny is you. Nobody can tell you who to be; not me, not your mother, not anybody. The man that you are tomorrow is based on the choices _you_ make today. So the question you have to ask yourself, son, is what do _you_ want to do?"

Clark thought of the people on the news, their lives destroyed. Totally without hope. For years he'd turned a blind eye, tried to ignore the guilt inside him whenever he saw one of these reports. For years he'd simply changed the channel. But there was always another one. If it wasn't natural disasters, it was murders and wars. He had never understood what drove a person to harm another. He wondered, if people had someone to show them what was right, someone to set an example, someone to protect them, someone to believe in…

He looked at his father, knowing what his answer was.

"I want to help people." he said.

"Then you do that." Jonathan said. "But whatever happens, Clark, just know that I'm proud of you."

He patted his son on the back, and decided to leave him with his thoughts. But before he reached the loft stairs, he spotted something amongst the clutter of Clark's things.

"Son…" he said. "Maybe you don't have to choose between one life or the other."

Clark turned to his Dad. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Jonathan said. He picked up the glasses that Clark had worn as a child, but had since grown out of, and smiled. "Maybe there's a way you can live both."

* * *

_Metropolis, years later…_

Ted kicked the doors of the bank open. Behind him, Frankie was picking up as many bags of cash he could carry, while Joe placed all of the customers and staff at gunpoint one last time.

"Anyone follows us and they won't live long enough to regret it!" he said, and they followed Ted into the street.

"Got the cash?" Joe asked his partners.

"Yeah." Ted answered.

"Then let's go." he said, turning towards the car parked on the sidewalk in front of them.

But there was a gust of wind, a red-blue blur, and suddenly someone was standing between them and a perfect getaway. He had his arms folded coolly across that now famous symbol on his chest, a single black curl fell down across his forehead, and his cape was blowing slightly in the breeze.

"Hi there." said Superman, he looked from the bank behind them, to the guns in their left hands, and the bags of money in their right. "Something wrong with the ATM?"

Frankie immediately dropped all the cash he was holding and made a break for it. However, he barely made it a few steps before he found himself knocked backwards to the floor, and looked up to see Superman standing over him.

"You said he'd be busy fighting super-villans!" Frankie screamed at his partners. "You said there was no way he'd be around!"

"Oh, fellas," Superman said. "If there's one thing you should know about me: I'm always around."

But Ted and Joe had seen their chance; Superman had moved from blocking their way into the car. Ted jumped in the front seat, Joe beside him, and shoved the key in the ignition. He slammed his foot down, and sped off down the road. He saw Superman watching him drive away, nonplussed.

"Why isn't he…?"

But before Ted could finish, the car stopped in it's tracks, and both men lurched forward. After smashing his head into the dashboard, Ted groggily lifted his gaze and saw Superman now standing in front of the car.

The Man of Steel stepped away from the front of the vehicle, which had crushed around his lower body on impact. Joe kicked the passenger door open and fell out onto the pavement.

"Okay, then." said Superman, peering over to see Joe on the floor. "Can I assume you've seen enough not to try anything el…" But suddenly Joe was on his feet, pointing a gun directly at his chest. "…Obviously not."

Joe was breathing hard, his perfect plan was unravelling before his eyes. But not if he could help it. The stories in the paper couldn't be true, he reasoned. Just made-up tabloid stuff. Rumours, nothing more.

No one was bullet-proof.

Superman simply sighed and allowed the gun to go off, barely feeling it crush against his chest. Then both he and Joe watched it fall pathetically to the ground.

"Ok." Joe said, throwing the gun to the ground, refusing defeat. "But I ain't going nowhere. Not without a fight!" He raised his hands and assumed a boxing stance, nodding for Superman to do the same.

Superman smiled. "Really?" he said. He scanned for an appropriate object, settling on the mangled car hood in front of him, which he ripped away from the vehicle and held aloft with one hand. And making sure Joe was watching, he punched his hand right through the metal. "Because I'd very much recommend going without a fight."

Joe dropped his hands.

Superman stayed for a few minutes more, until the Police arrived. Across the street Jimmy Olsen was ecstatic. There had only been a few decent pictures of Superman since he'd arrived on the scene a few months ago; the guy always seemed to be on the move. But he wasn't moving now, and Jimmy was taking full advantage, snapping away picture after picture on his camera. Wait till the Chief saw these!

He zoomed in to get a close up of Superman's face, but suddenly a mop of brown hair entered the frame.

"Excuse me?" Jimmy said politely. "Could you step aside, please? I'm taking pictures for _The Planet_ here."

"Oh, sorry, yes, of course." said the man, in a thick English accent, and he moved out the photographer's way.

"Don't worry about it. Just trying to get a good look yourself?"

"Something like that. I've been looking all over for him, just making sure everything worked out okay. I mean, that he's okay. I mean… oh, never mind. Anyway, he's a hard man to find."

"Tell me about." Jimmy said, returning to getting a close up. "I've been trying to get a good shot of him for weeks now, but the guy's always flying off. Jimmy Olsen, by the way."

"The Doctor." the man said, shaking Jimmy's extended hand.

They both watched as Superman shook the Police Officer's hands, smiled at the group of onlookers and took off into the air.

"He is really something, huh?" Jimmy said, as both he and the Doctor watched the Man of Steel fly away.

"Oh, yes." the Doctor said, unable to contain the giant grin spreading across his face. "Just the best of you. The best humanity's ever produced."

Jimmy frowned at the strange comment. "Don't you read the papers? He's from another planet. Mars, or something."

The Doctor shook his head. "Krypton."

"That's right!" Jimmy said, remembering Miss Lane's article.

"Mars is completely different to Krypton. Krypton's just ice, Mars is really quite beautiful. Valleys of this gorgeous red. Always wear boots, though, cause the stains just do not come out of your trainers."

The Doctor was too focused on Superman to see the slightly weirded out look on Jimmy's face.

"Anyway!" the Doctor said when Superman disappeared from view. "What I meant was that he just embodies everything that you can be. He gives you hope. He inspires you to be better."

"Yeeeah." Jimmy said, not missing how the Doctor said 'you' instead of 'us'. "Anyway, I gotta get back to work now. See ya, buddy."

"Hmm? Oh, okay. Have a good one. Cool bow tie, by the way."

"Oh." said Jimmy, pleasantly taken aback. "Thank you." And, patting his beloved choice of tie, he went on with his day.

The Doctor, however, stayed for a bit longer. Everything had worked out. Superman was safe, criminals were not, and the people walking the street had hope. Just as it should be.

He just wished there'd been another way.

He sighed, and tried to shake those thoughts away. Fortunately for him, there was always another question to be answered: where to next?

Now that Jimmy had mentioned it, he realised it really had been a while since he'd been on Mars. And it really was a beautiful sight. The Red Planet. Yeah, he decided, Mars it was.

He looked around the street once more, as if doing one last check, and then set off for the TARDIS.

* * *

"For a long time now I thought I was just a survivor. But I'm not. I'm the winner, that's who I am. The Time Lord Victorious."

Too many. Far too many people had died that could have been saved, because he was playing to the rules of a dead people. Abiding to outdated concepts of 'fixed' points and people. How many had perished while he clung to his past? Almost everyone on Bowie Base One. The masses he'd left to burn in Pompeii.

Chloe.

Poor Chloe Sullivan, who gave her life because she thought it was the only way.

But never again, the Doctor thought. Adelaide Brook was alive and well because of him. He'd broken the rules, interfered with a 'fixed' point in time and saved her life. She'd told him he was wrong, that it wasn't up to him to decide who lived and died, but she didn't understand.

Only when he was sure Adelaide was inside her house did he start walking back to the TARDIS, the reality of what this meant hitting him. All bets were off, never again would he stand by and watch. Time could be rewritten, for anyone, 'fixed' or otherwise. He had a super-duper time machine, it was time he started using it.

And the first stop was Clinton Street. He made the rules now. If he could save Adelaide Brook, he could save Chloe Sullivan.

And then he heard it. The unmistakable sound of gunshot.

Adelaide's last words returned to him; "I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is wrong!"

And suddenly, it was as if the light from Adelaide's gun had shone through the window and revealed to him what'd he done. He'd gone too far. He was so sick of watching people die, and scared for himself, that he'd gone and lost his mind. He couldn't save Adelaide Brook, for the same reasons he couldn't save Chloe.

And now he knew it more than ever. He was doomed.

* * *

Metropolis General Hospital was busy, full of medical staff and ordinary people in need of help. But amongst everyone else, there was one man walking through the halls of Met Get that no one could help.

The Doctor was, more or less, dead.

Or, at least, as close as he could get to it without actually dying. The radiation he'd absorbed was tearing his body apart, and the biological reaction had started. The regeneration was coming. Everything was about to change.

This is what he'd been running from, for so long. And yet, despite the fact that it was more inevitable now than it had ever been, he found himself still running. Okay, so maybe he was doing this, visiting each of the most important people in his life one last time, to say goodbye. But, mostly, it was just to put off what he knew came next.

_'Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'_

And, as he limped down the hospital hallway, he couldn't deny it. He was afraid. The Time Lords loved to act all-knowing, but in actual fact, it was their own biology that they knew least about. No one quiet understood how regeneration worked, what were the limits of the process were.

And so the Doctor had no idea what to expect. Anything could happen when he changed. He might be boring, or mean. He might not have arms, or legs. At that last thought, a fresh wave of panic fell over him. What will I do without legs, he thought, how will I run away from things?

But he would have to worry about that later. He'd found what he was looking for.

Clark Kent, glasses and all, sitting outside of a patient's room.

The Doctor smiled, hobbled over to the seat next to him and sat down.

"Hello." he said.

Clark jumped slightly. He'd been too immersed in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed anyone next to him.

"Oh." he said. "Hi."

"Nervous?" the Doctor asked, and when Clark didn't seem to understand, he cocked an eyebrow. "Shifting in your seat? Fidgeting hands? Come off it, you've got 'About to be a Dad' written all over you."

"Oh," Clark laughed. "Um, yeah. Very nervous."

"Understandable." the Doctor said. "Your first?"

"Yeah." sighed Clark. "You worry, y'know? If you'll be able to handle it, if you'll be a good Dad. If you'll be around enough."

"Oh, you're always around."

Clark blinked, and looked at the man. "Excuse me?"

The Doctor tried to hide his grin. "I mean, first-time Dad. They won't be able to drag you away."

Clark nodded, relieved. Not that there was anyway this guy could know he was…

The Doctor gasped, a sharp burst of pain hitting him. His hand flew to his abdomen on instinct.

"Are you okay?" Clark said, sitting up in his seat. "Do you want me to get a Doctor?"

"Nah," the Doctor said. "I'll be fine." And before Clark could disagree, he changed the subject. "Anyway, this baby of yours, does it have a name yet?"

Clark thought about arguing; the man certainly did not look fine. But he didn't want to be rude, and so he answered, "Sam. If it's a boy, that is. We haven't decided on a girl's name yet. I like Lucy, but my wife doesn't. And she's pretty stubborn."

"That's an understatement." the Doctor muttered, forgetting his friend's gifted hearing.

"What?" Clark said.

"Chloe." said the Doctor, ignoring Clark's previous question. "Good name for a girl."

Over the past nine months, many people had been offering names to the Kents. Clark had learned to politely answer that it was a nice name, and promise that they would consider it, even though he knew they wouldn't. However, this time was different.

"…Chloe." he said. "Wow. That is a nice name. I mean, I'd have to run it past my wife first. But I like it."

"I had a friend called Chloe." said the Doctor. "Brave girl."

The Doctor turned his gaze to the floor and was silent, and Clark was about to say something when the door they were sitting outside of suddenly opened, and a flustered nurse was standing before them.

"Mr Kent." she said. "Your wife would like you to…"

"Smallville!" came Lois's voice. "You put this thing in me, you're gonna help get it out."

Clark was quickly on his feet and following the nurse back into the room. But then he remembered his strange new friend, and turned back.

"Sorry, I really have to go." he said.

"Oh, yeah. It's fine." the Doctor answered.

"But, thanks. For the name, I mean."

"Don't mention it." said the Doctor, nodding for him to go inside.

"Bye." Clark said, and turned to join his wife.

"Goodbye, Clark."

Clark stopped. He didn't remember telling the man his name. He looked back, and saw the man smiling at him, but not like before. The smile was betrayed by the man's eyes, which suddenly seemed so sad, and afraid. His inner-Superman took over, and his natural instinct was to ask what was wrong, and do whatever it took to help.

"Kent!" screeched Lois. "If you're not in here in five seconds, I swear to God…!"

Clark looked between the man and the hospital room, torn. "I…"

"Clark." said the Doctor. "Go on. She needs you."

Clark hovered for a few more seconds, and it was only when his wife screamed his name again that he made his decision. He looked one last time at the man, who gave him a half-hearted wink, and then went inside.

The Doctor, alone again, sighed.

He held his hand up in front of him. The golden glow was starting to form around his knuckles. Time's up, he thought.

He managed to stagger to his feet, and set off down the hallway. One more trip, he told himself. He wasn't ready yet. Just one more trip, and then…

And he had to laugh. As if things weren't bad enough, something he'd said earlier had scared him more than anything. Now, besides his fast approaching death, there was only one thought running through his head.

He _really_ hoped he would still have legs.

_**The **_

_**End**_

**

* * *

**

**Well, there it is, finished. To have this completed is a relief, and a little bit sad. Even though I started posting in September of 2009, I've been writing this story since at least 2008. 2 years, and now its over. And I have to say, I'm quite proud of it. I'm not the best prose writer. I'm studying screenwriting at University, and that's what I'd like to do eventually, but fan fiction works so much better in prose, I think.**

**It's far from perfect, of course. There's a few spelling errors here and there and the odd continuity mess-up. And a part of me wishes I'd waited till I'd finished the story before posting, so I could look it over and perhaps re-draft it. But the reviews I got as I was going along inspired me to keep writing, so that's something. Also remember that I posted this a few weeks before Smallville's Ninth Season started, and I was worried that Callum Blue's Zod would be involved in storylines similar to this story, so I wanted to post my version first and avoid any accusations of simply copying from the show. However, they took him a different (and awesome) direction, so there was no need to worry.**

**Something else I want to mention is that this story kind of my farewell to the Tenth Doctor. David Tennant was my Doctor, and he was just tiny bit brilliant. But David Tennant _was_ the Doctor, now Matt Smith _is_ the Doctor, and he's every bit as brilliant. So much so that I'm writing my own "series" for the Eleventh Doctor. Thirteen stories serving as episodes, with my own original companion, which I hope to start posting soon. I hope anyone who enjoyed this story will join me for that, as well. There's a synopsis for the series in my profile, if you're interested.**

**So, a very huge, gigantic thank-you to anyone who reviewed this story. And even a thank you to those that read, but didn't review. I hope you liked it, and I hope you like what I have coming up.**

_**Geronimo!**_

**(Btw, if you're confused about why this story ended with the Doctor worrying about his legs, remember that the Eleventh Doctor's first words were a very relieved "Legs! I've still got legs." I was worried people wouldn't catch that. :D)**


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